


For We Know We're Homeward Bound

by That_Would_Be_Enough



Series: When the Wind Blows We're Together [3]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Anal, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Blow Jobs, Dom/sub, Feelings, Humiliation, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Orgasm Denial, Polyamory, Porn with Feelings, Slow Build, Smut, Threesome, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-15 20:53:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13621470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_Would_Be_Enough/pseuds/That_Would_Be_Enough
Summary: It had been over a year since John was captured by pirates, fell in love, and completely changed the course of his future, but the surprises are far from over as he tries to navigate his new life. However, some parts of his past just won't let go of their hold on his heart.





	1. Chapter 1

John woke up abruptly from his dream, sweating and tangled up in his blanket. His heart was beating loud and fast in his chest, a staccato drum beat sending waves of anxiety into the pit of his stomach. He looked to his right, the panic receding a bit as when he saw Alex next to him, snoring softly. He was here, on the Revolution. He was here with Alex and Lafayette and everyone else and no one was going to take him away. No one was going to make him go back. He closed his eyes again, and he could hear his father’s voice, so realistic he could almost imagine him whispering into his ear. Telling him he was a disappointment and a disgrace. Explaining how he was going straight to hell. 

His eyes shot open again, and he wriggled off the bed. It was difficult from his place squeezed between Alex and the wall, but he did his best not to wake the other two. He tugged on his day clothes and softly padded across the room, opening and closing the door slowly enough that it didn’t creak as loud as it normally would. As he ascended the stairs onto the main deck, he took a deep breath, the salty air filling his lungs and clearing some of the intrusive thoughts from his mind. He crossed the deck to the far end of the ship, leaning against the edge and staring out at the reflection of the stars and the moon, rippling on the surface of the water. 

It had been over a year, he thought, since he made the decision to stay on the ship. A year of adjusting to a life free from the restrictions of society, adjusting to a life where he had to pillage and plunder to survive. It wasn’t always easy, but John had grown to love it. He loved the freedom, loved the comradery of the men on the ship, and most of all, loved that he got to spend every single day with Alex. If that all came with some ethical grey areas, well, he figured it was worth it. After all, it’s not as if life in the colonies was without its immoral aspects. He took a moment to appreciate how bizarre his life had turned out. Never in a million years would he have thought he would join a gang of pirates, but here he was. A sharp gust of wind hit, and he shivered, feeling it pierce through his clothing and raise goosebumps on his skin. Winter was over, but the nights could still carry a chill until the sun rose again to warm everything. He hunched his shoulders inwards, trying to conserve his heat and block out the breeze. 

He wasn’t sure how long he stayed out there, but eventually he heard footsteps crossing the deck. He snapped his body around, searching out the source of the noise. He trusted the men on the ship, but you could never be too careful alone at night. He was surprised when he noticed Lafayette walking towards him, shirt puffing out a bit with the breeze. He gave John a close-lipped smile as he approached, coming to lean against the edge of the ship next to him. 

“Why are you out here all alone, mon ami?” His eyes searched John’s face for any clues, soft and gentle. His hair was still messed up from sleeping, stray curls falling out of his hair tie. John always thought he looked adorable when he had just woken up. 

“I had a bad dream and couldn’t fall back to sleep.” He shrugged, turning his eyes back to the water. “Why are you out here?”

“I woke up from my sleep and noticed you were not in the bed. I had worried maybe something happened?” John could hear the residual sleepiness in his voice, his English not as sharp as it normally was. 

“I’m fine, really,” John sighed, leaning his chin on one hand. “Is Alex still asleep?”

“Yes. He was still sleeping soundly when I left.”

“Good. I don’t want him to worry. Everyone worries too much about me.” It was true. With John being new to the ship, he almost felt like he was being coddled. As if he couldn’t handle their lifestyle and had to have it softened for him. 

“He just has been trying to make sure you adjust well. He realizes that going from the life you were living before to this was not easy. He worries because he cares about you and does not want to see you unhappy.”

John’s mouth turned up into a small smile as he thought about Alex fussing over him. It was irritating at times, but at the end of the day he did appreciate it. “I guess.” He paused for a few minutes, thinking as a comfortable silence fell over them. The waves rocked gently against the ship as he turned back to Lafayette. “How did you adjust to all of this at first? You came from a wealthy family, right?”

He hesitated for a moment before heaving a sigh and answering. “Yes, my family is very wealthy. More so than your family in fact. As far as adjusting, well, it was interesting. I had always wanted to get away from all of it, yet as soon as I did get away, I started to miss some parts. Mostly little things that I did not think about much before. Like well-prepared meals and simple comforts like a fireplace. Alexander… well he had a hard time understanding if I would get sad and miss these things. I do not blame him for it. We had very different upbringings. But if I complained at all he would get irritated with me for missing things that other people did not even have normally. It was hard to adjust while pretending everything was fine.”

John nodded in sympathy, feeling almost shy having this sort of vulnerable conversation with Lafayette. He turned his face towards the water again, finding it easier not to maintain eye contact. “It sounds like he was less understanding with you than he’s being with me,” he said with a frown. 

“Ah, he has had much time to adjust to things now as well. He is less insecure about it I think. Back then, both of us had decided on this together, and he worried that if I missed the comforts of home that I would regret my decision and go back. When Alexander commits to something, he commits whole heartedly, and it worries him that other people might not do the same.”

“That makes sense,” John said slowly, shivering with the breeze and a sense of vulnerability. “I keep dreaming about my family. My father. I don’t regret staying here with you, but sometimes I feel so guilty. I didn’t tell anyone. I just never came back. They probably all think I died at sea.” When he closed his eyes he could picture the faces of his younger siblings. They had already lost their mother. His heart hurt to think about how they would react to the news that he was dead too. 

Lafayette reached an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer and rubbing a hand soothingly up and down his upper arm. When John gave him a questioning look he simply said, “You looked cold.” They stayed like that for a while, John leaning lightly against Lafayette’s side and breathing deeply, trying to clear his head of all the things that worried him. Finally, with the sun just barely peaking above the horizon, Lafayette turned back towards John, pulling his hand back to his own side. “We should go inside,” he said, voice just above a whisper. “Alexander will wonder where we are.”

They crept back inside, Lafayette opening the door extremely slowly to keep quiet, but when they got into the room they saw Alex already sitting up in bed with a book. He turned his head towards the door and raised his eyebrows at the two of them. “And what has the both of you out and about so early?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” John mumbled, shrugging and throwing himself back down onto the bed. 

“Both of you?” He turned to Lafayette, giving him a skeptical look. 

“Oui.”

Alex looked between the two of them for a moment before turning his eyes back to his book and muttering “whatever,” under his breath. His mouth was set in a frown, clearly trying to figure out what they were doing out of bed together so early in the morning without him. Then John nudged his head against his hip, scooching in close to snuggle against him, and Alex’s expression softened a bit. He adjusted the book in his lap so that John could lay his head there instead, fingers automatically drifting to his hair and toying with his curls. “It’s not bedtime anymore, baby” he teased. “You can’t go back to sleep.”

John just turned his face to bury it against Alex’s lower stomach, making an incoherent noise of protest. 

Alex laughed, scratching at his scalp. “Okay, maybe just for a little bit. But I’m getting out of bed soon, and I’m not going to stay just because your head is in my lap. Got it?”

John nodded his head, settling himself into a comfortable position again and falling asleep within minutes. Once he could hear soft, deep breathing, Alex turned to Lafayette again, currently sitting on the edge of the bed. “So, seriously, what were you two doing out there?”

“Laurens told you already, we both could not sleep.”

Alex squinted at him, trying to keep his voice low to avoid waking John. “You never have trouble falling back asleep at night. Did you follow him out there?”

Lafayette made a noncommittal gesture with his hand. “I woke up after him, so I suppose I did technically follow him out.”

“Why didn’t you just go back to sleep?” Alex asked with a tilt of his head. 

“I… I just could not. Stop pestering me.”

“You’re lying…” Alex trailed off, scrutinizing him. After a few brief moments of staring him down, trying to work through the thoughts in his brain, Alex smirked at him. “Were you worried about him?” When Lafayette didn’t respond, he bit his lip to keep his self-satisfied grin from spreading. “You were! God, you’re going soft. You care about him,” he teased, still smirking.

“Alexander,” he groaned. “Stop.” 

“I knew you liked him. I knew it. Damn, can you imagine what the other men would think if they knew how soft you were for him? Knew that you went out in the middle of the night to comfort him?”

“They will not know,” he snapped. “You are being very bothersome this morning.”

Alex just snorted. “I’m not going to tell them, don’t worry. It’s just kind of funny.”

“It is not.”

“It’s a little funny. You were the one who was so hesitant to let him stay here with us, and you tried to keep your distance from him for so long. But even you couldn’t keep away from that cute face and that sweet ass forever. It was only a matter of time I suppose.”

Lafayette rolled his eyes, standing up and stretching. “I am going to leave now, so you cannot continue to make fun. When I see you at breakfast, I expect you will be less irritating, Alexander.” 

Alex gave him a playful grin from his spot on the bed. “You could make me be less irritating,” he said with a suggestive eyebrow raise. “Put me in my place.” 

“You have a sleeping boy in your lap,” he said bluntly. “I do not think that would end well.”

Alex hummed a sound of agreement. “That is true. Later then, captain?”

Lafayette’s eyes were dark as he glanced back at Alex from the doorway. “I look forward to it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back!
> 
> Anyone ask for more Lafayette? Yes? Most of you? Well you're in luck because he'll be super important in this one.
> 
> I'm so excited to finally share more of this story with you all!
> 
> I'm so thankful for all of you who kept me going with your comments on the first story in this series, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on part two!  
> You have no idea how much your comments mean to me <3
> 
> Check me out on tumblr @ilovefoodandgirls  
> Feel free to send me asks because interacting with you makes me smile
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates Mondays and Thursdays

John woke up feeling not at all rested. Alex was shifting underneath him, then moving around the room with no attempt to keep quiet. John just groaned, turning his face back into the blankets and trying to block out the noise. 

“None of that,” Alex chided, shoving his shoulder lightly. “I told you it wasn’t bedtime anymore. You should be grateful I stayed here this long to let you sleep. I’m starving. Come on, wake up.”

“You can go get breakfast without me,” John mumbled, refusing to flip over. 

“You’re not sleeping all day, Laurens. That’s not healthy. Come on.” He felt Alex’s weight settle beside him once again, fingers tangling into his curls and tugging lightly. “Get up.” 

“Fuck off,” he groaned, shoving Alex as hard as he could from the awkward angle. He almost immediately regretted it as the fingers tightened in his hair, pulling his head up from the mattress. 

“What was that?” Alex’s voice was sharp, but John could hear the playful tone underneath. Knew he was in for some real fun now. 

“I said fuck off,” he grumbled with as much pride as he could muster given the situation. 

Alex let go of his hair to push him over onto his back, straddling him and pinning him down on the mattress with his bodyweight. John felt his cock taking interest, sharp twinge of arousal low in his stomach as he struggled under Alex’s hold. “You’re not being very good for me this morning, sweetheart,” he teased, pinning John’s wrists above his head with one hand and leaning in low to speak softly into his ear. “I’m just trying to help you get up, and you repay me by acting like a brat?” He moved his lips lower, biting a spot high on his neck and sucking hard. 

“Fuck, Alex,” he panted. “Alex, careful. People could see.” The words were true, but he didn’t really want Alex to stop, and if he was guessing correctly he doubted he would. If he really wanted him to stop, they had other signals for that. 

“You think I care if people can see how much of a little whore you are?” He moved lower again, sucking a new mark into his collarbone, teeth nearly breaking the skin. John moaned under the attention, half hard already. “You want to stay in bed? Fine, we’ll stay in bed a little longer, but I decide what we’re doing, and I’ve decided we’re doing this,” he said in a low voice, reaching his hand down to grip John through his pants. “That’s what you really want anyway, isn’t it?” John’s face turned red, and he bit his lip hard to avoid screaming out at the contact. “Well? Answer me, slut.” Alex smacked his thigh with force, and John whined at the sharp sting. “Tell me what you want.”

“Yes,” John said, voice coming out breathy and higher than he expected. “I want this, Alex. Want you. Need you to touch me. Need you to fuck me.”

Alex smirked down at him, letting go of his wrists to tug his shirt over his head. He traced a finger along his neck, running it down his shoulder and tweaking one nipple just to watch John’s discomfort. “That’s what I thought. You’re so hungry for it, I should just keep you in here and fuck you all day.”

“Alex…” he whined, his cheeks burning bright. 

“What, baby? I thought you wanted to get fucked?” John chewed his lip, his cock now fully hard under Alex’s hand. He thrust his hips up, chasing the friction, only to earn another smack to his thigh. “Stop being so greedy,” he scolded, withdrawing his hand pushing John back onto his front. “Flip over and let me see that beautiful ass.” He sighed with pleasure, yanking the material down to get a better view. John was thankful his face was hidden, shielding himself from further embarrassment. “So gorgeous,” Alex mumbled, gripping one hand into the flesh and giving him a squeeze. “Beautiful and perfect and all mine. If you really want me to fuck that tight little ass then up on all fours, honey,” he commanded, giving him a teasing slap.

John scrambled to obey, biting his lip to stop his moan as Alex continued touching him, fingers dipping low between his cheeks. “Fuck, please Alex-” His next word was cut off with a gasp as one finger prodded at his entrance, rubbed teasing circles. “Please, want you inside of me, please.”

“Mmm there’s a good boy. I love hearing you beg for me, honey. Tell me again, what do you want?” He removed his hand, reaching over to a table next to their bed and grabbing a bottle of oil. 

“Want you to fuck me, Alex. God I want your cock so bad, please, please give it to me.”

“That’s right baby, I know you love this cock.” John felt Alex’s finger back at his hole, slicked with oil and slowly pushing in. He let out a sigh of relief, pushing back into it. “Gonna give it to you real good, just you wait.” Alex prepped him quickly, working in a second finger and scissoring them to stretch him, and then a third, purposefully avoiding his prostate. “You’re so tight, sweetheart. Can’t wait to put my dick in there. Stretch out your tight little hole properly.” He dug in deep before pulling out one last time, wiping his messy fingers on the skin of John’s hip. 

John was nearly trembling as he waited for Alex to slick his cock with the oil. He knew better than to turn around and see if he was ready though. Alex would want him to stay in position. He would want him to be good. As the seconds stretched on, he let out a quiet whine, feeling so empty. He needed something inside of him. Something to satisfy the burning desire that flowed through him. 

“What’s wrong, pretty boy?” Alex ran a finger over the curve of his ass, not even close to his hole. 

“You’re not fucking me,” he said with a pout. 

Alex let out a quiet laugh, and John felt him line up, tip of his cock nudging his entrance. “Well, that’s because you haven’t begged me properly yet. Maybe if you ask very sweetly like a good boy I’ll give you what you want.”

John pursed his lips, irritation springing up inside him, his cock heavy between his thighs. “I already asked you to fuck me. What more do you want?”

“I told you already. I want you to be sweet and ask me properly. You can start by apologizing for telling me to fuck off. It’s not very nice to throw a tantrum when I’m just trying to wake you up.” He felt Alex rut forward behind him. Not pushing in, but applying just enough pressure to make John whimper. 

“Fine,” he huffed, his patience dwindling. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“Sorry for what?” Alex prompted, eyebrows raised and a stern expression on his face. John wanted to scream at him to hurry it up, but he couldn’t deny that this was turning him on even further. Alex knew how to push all of his buttons.

“Sorry for getting short with you,” he grumbled. 

“I can’t hear you when you mumble like that honey,” Alex said, giving him another smack on his ass. John bit back a moan. “Speak up. Tell me what you did wrong.”

He lifted his face up, projecting a little more, desperation tinging his voice. “I’m sorry I was short with you. Sorry I cursed at you. Now will you please, please put your cock inside of me?” He could feel the heat in his face, twinge of humiliation and arousal mixing inside of him. “I want you so bad, Alex. I need you. You always make me feel so damn good. Please, please fuck me. I’ll be good, I promise. I’ll be so good for you.”

“All day? Or just until you get what you want?” Alex asked, tone sharp.

John swallowed hard, his voice breaking as he spoke. “What?” 

“Are you going to be good and sweet for me all day? I don’t want to hear you talking back. Don’t want you acting like a brat or teasing me. Promise you’ll be good all day, and then I’ll fuck you, baby.”

John bit his bottom lip, deliberating. He knew Alex was going to use that to his advantage later. Then again, he found he didn’t really care when the other option was Alex not getting him off. He figured if he played his cards right he might even be able to go for a second round later. “Okay,” he said, a shiver running through his body. “I’ll be good for you. All day. I promise.”

That was all the confirmation Alex needed. He guided himself in, slick with oil as he parted his ass and buried himself in deep. John keened at the first thrust, his body rocking forward with the movement. “Fuck, Alex,” he moaned, cut off at the end as Alex slammed into him again, one hand coming to grip his hip and hold him steady. 

“Yeah, you like that? Like when I fuck you nice and deep?” 

John just moaned in response as Alex worked himself up to a rough pace, hips smacking against his ass with each thrust. He felt every inch inside of him, the quick prep not nearly enough to truly loosen him, but he didn’t care. He wanted to feel Alex work him open. Relished in the feeling of being pounded raw. 

“Fuck, John,” Alex groaned behind him. “You’re so tight. So perfect.” He paused for a moment, caught his breath and adjusted the angle of John’s hips a little before pushing back in, and John couldn’t hold back his cry. Alex hit his prostate with every stroke now, crashing into him and delivering wave after wave of glorious pleasure. He twisted his fingers into the blankets below, squeezing hard to ground himself. He could feel Alex’s rhythm turning erratic, knew he was close as he gripped his hips harder and doubled his force. 

John was close too, could feel the pressure building inside of him, his brain fogging up and his breath coming out in hard gasps. He moved to prop himself up on one forearm, his other hand gripping his dick tightly. He barely had a chance to stroke himself once before he felt a sharp slap on his ass. He cursed loudly as Alex continued to pound into him, his hips hitting the raw skin over and over. “I don’t think you’ve earned the right to touch yourself yet, sweetheart,” Alex told him, voice sharp and tone uneven as he got closer to the edge. “You promised to be good all day, remember?” He nailed his prostate with a particularly rough thrust, making John gasp out his name. “You don’t get your reward until after you’ve shown me you can behave.” He punctuated the last word by digging in deep, holding John tightly against him, hips stuttering as he came hard and let out a long, low moan. When Alex finally pulled out, John could feel hot cum dribbling down his thigh. He gave his ass one last appreciative squeeze before dropping down onto the bed and closing his eyes, sighing in bliss. 

John just stared down at him for a minute and licked his lips, not daring to move. As he grew increasingly uncomfortable he cleared his throat loudly to get Alex’s attention again. He popped one eye open for a moment, caught John staring down at him with pleading eyes. 

“Can I help you?” he teased, still motionless on the mattress. 

“Yeah, you can,” John pointed out, dropping back onto his knees and bringing one of Alex’s hands to his dick. Alex just tutted and slapped the inside of his thigh, not hard enough to hurt, just enough to get the point across. 

“I told you honey. You haven’t earned that yet. If you’re good for me today I’ll see about letting you finish tonight. How does that sound?”

In all honestly it sounded like torture, but John knew it was just the kind of torture that would have him on edge all day and have him feeling over the moon when he was finally permitted to climax. He let out a petulant whine and dropped onto the blankets next to Alex who just chuckled and scratched at his scalp. 

“Let’s get you cleaned up and then we can get breakfast, okay?” Alex pulled himself up to a sitting position, staring at John’s naked body below him, his ass still leaking cum. “Come on,” he said, tugging on John’s arm. “And make sure you don’t get any of that on the sheets,” he said sternly. “Good boys don’t get our bed all messy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just straight up porn. Poor John <3
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed! 
> 
> Your comments make my day <3<3<3
> 
> Find me on Tumblr @ilovefoodandgirls


	3. Chapter 3

John did his best to watch his tongue throughout the day, though it wasn’t always easy. Alex was clearly antagonizing him. Looking for a chance to make him break his promise. But John could be extremely stubborn, and he wasn’t going to break that easily. He tried to be as sweet as he could. Helped Alex with some repairs that needed to be made to equipment. Helped map out where different ships might be based on their intelligence. Did some cleaning without any complaints. He tried his best to be helpful. To be good. But by the time they sat around with the others for dinner he was nearing his breaking point. He was frustrated Alex hadn’t let him find his satisfaction yet today. Annoyed with the way he kept teasing him and trying to make him snap. He couldn’t wait for dinner to be over. Wanted to go back to their room and finally get what he had worked so hard for.  


As they ate, Alex kept a possessive hand on his thigh, firm pressure reminding him what was at stake. Lafayette was on Alex’s other side, discussing some book they had both recently read. John took a bite of his meat, savoring the salty taste on his tongue. As he ate, his mind drifted to their activities that morning, his mouth watering at the thought of Alex deep inside of him. His eyes were shut, so he didn’t notice Alex staring at him. Barely felt Alex slip his hand higher up his thigh before giving him a squeeze dangerously close to his cock. “Fuck,” he hissed quietly, eyes snapping open.  


Alex smirked at him, look of pure joy on his face. “What was that, Jack?”  


“Nothing.”  


“First you curse, then you lie to me? I thought you promised you’d be good today.” He bit his lower lip as he grinned at John, mischief in his eyes.  


“Is this some weird sex thing?” McHenry asked from John’s other side, squinting his eyes at the two of them.  


John blushed furiously, but Alex just laughed. “No,” he insisted firmly, while Alex merely shrugged. “It’s not,” he insisted, glaring at Alex. “Don’t pay Alex any attention, he’s being a jerk.”  


“Could you just once respect the chain of command?” Alex whined, looking exasperated.  


“Pirate ships are democracies. You can’t insist on equality and then complain when I won’t treat you differently based on your rank.”  


“He’s got you there, Hamilton,” McHenry laughed.  


“That doesn’t mean you can’t be respectful,” he griped, shoving at John’s shoulder. “I don’t want you to kneel before me and blindly follow my every command.” John raised his eyebrows, biting back his retort, remembering they didn’t have the privilege of privacy. “I just don’t want you insulting me. Is that so much to ask?”  


“No sir,” John replied in the same voice he used to use with commanding officers and was unable to hold back the wave of laughter that followed. He received a painful pinch on the inside of his thigh where Alex’s hand had been resting as a result.  


Lafayette had been watching their conversation from Alex’s other side, his eyebrows raised in interest. He said something quietly in Alex’s ear, and Alex laughed in response, nodding his head. Lafayette threw John a look that seemed almost pitiful before turning back to his meal and taking another bite. John blinked in confusion at the exchange, but returned to his own meal, hoping to finish soon and get on to more exciting activities. 

  


Alex practically dragged John back to the captain’s quarters after dinner, closing the door behind them with more force than necessary and putting his hands on his hips as he stared John down. “You seriously couldn’t go one day without running that smart mouth of yours?”  


“Alex, keep your voice down,” he hissed, eyeing the door with caution.  


“Don’t tell me what to do,” his tone was sharp, but he had taken the volume down a level. “Take off your clothes and get on your knees in front of the bed. Don’t make me wait long or you won’t like the consequences.”  


John felt his breath catch in his chest, but obeyed as quick as he could, stripping quickly and positioning himself, waiting while Alex just watched. He made no move to get onto the bed, no move to touch John at all, just stood and watched, the prolonged attention making John want to squirm. “Are you still going to get me off?” His own voice sounded small and a bit pathetic.  


“Do you think you deserve it after the way you acted tonight?”  


“Alex, come on, I was good almost the entire day,” he craned his neck to try and make eye contact, but he was too far behind him. “You were teasing me at dinner. Nearly touched my cock while we ate. Talked about our agreement around other people. I was really trying to be good. I helped you with so much stuff today. Isn’t that worth something?”  


He almost jumped when he felt a hand grip his shoulder. Alex didn’t do anything, just stood behind him. Extremely close. “Of course it is,” his voice was softer now, but still in control. Still in charge. “I know you tried your best today, honey. You’ll get your reward for that I promise. But you still broke your promise, right?”  


John felt his jaw tighten. “Right.”  


“I was so excited to bring you back here and make you feel good. So excited to love every inch of that body. I was going to treat you so good, baby. But you couldn’t keep that mouth in check. So now I’m going to have to show you what that mouth is good for first.” Fingers trailed up John’s neck, brushing underneath his jaw and making him shiver.  


Alex finally stepped out from behind him. Sat on the bed and spread his legs. Unlaced his pants and pulled his half-hard cock out. “Prove to me that mouth can be sweet, pretty boy, and then I’ll consider letting you finish.”  


John shuffled forward, drawing himself close enough to get a good angle. His face felt hot, but he was determined. He leaned forward, nuzzled in near Alex’s crotch, placed an open-mouthed kiss to his shaft. He worked his way up, parting his lips when he got to the head and taking Alex into his mouth. He slid halfway down, hollowing his cheeks before pulling back up and glowing with satisfaction as he heard Alex let out an appreciative moan above him. One hand came to rest at the back of his head, and John tensed in anticipation of rough fingers tangling into his hair, but instead he just rested there possessively. He didn’t try to guide him or pull him closer, just let his hand sit there, reminding John that he could if he wanted to. But John knew he was supposed to be good. Alex wanted him to use his mouth without help. He forced himself down further, taking the whole length into his mouth before pulling back off. He set a steady pace, sliding up and down with slick, wet noises, trying not to gag each time the tip hit the back of his throat.  


Alex spurred him on, sighing and groaning, his head thrown back in pleasure. “Fuck, honey, you feel so damn good. I knew you could make that mouth be sweet for me. Wish I could spend all night inside of you.” He cursed as John pushed himself down further, swallowing around him. “Baby, I’m so close. I’m going to finish in that pretty throat of yours, okay? Want to watch you swallow it down like the little slut you are.”  


John hummed his approval, blinking up at Alex through his lashes before sinking back down. He used every trick he knew, using his lips and tongue and creating as much suction as he could. He felt Alex’s fingers digging in now, not trying to move his head, just trying to ground himself as he got closer to his completion. John could tell he was close, could hear the string of incoherent curses spilling from his lips as the pleasure built inside of him. As he felt Alex grip the back of his head, he sunk low, taking him into the very back of his throat, and Alex spilled inside of him with a shuddering groan. He swallowed a few times until Alex finally stilled, letting his hand fall from the back of John’s head and falling backwards onto the bed with a satisfied sigh.  


John sank down onto to the floor, gasping for breath and painfully aware of how hard his own cock was. He took a few minutes, allowing himself to reestablish a steady heartrate, before he felt the need to remind Alex of his presence. “Alex?” His voice came out high and needy, and he didn’t care one bit, the need to reach his release overpowering every other thought in his brain. “Need you. Please.”  


Alex pushed himself up onto his elbows to look at John over the edge of the bed. “Come here, sweetheart,” he said, voice soft as he patted the bed next to him. “Come up here and let me take care of you.”  


John stood on shaky legs, made his way over to sit next to Alex, looked at him with puppy dog eyes, begged Alex to touch him without saying a single word. And he happily obliged, done playing and teasing for the night, ready to give John his hard-earned reward. “Lean back, love.” Alex placed a hand on his chest, gently pushing him down into the mattress, head propped up on a pillow. “Want to make you feel good. Spread those legs for me, okay?” He did as he was told, knees bent and legs spread wide with Alex’s hands to guide him. His body felt so tight, so wound up, so ready. When he saw Alex kneel between his legs and bend forward, he closed his eyes in anticipation of that warm tongue on his cock. He tensed, expectant, and let out a sharp gasp as he felt Alex’s tongue, not on his dick, but licking a deliciously hot stripe over his asshole.  


“Fuck, Alex,” he moaned, rolling his hips slightly. “Fuck.”  


“Feel good?” he whispered, his breath warm as it ghosted over his skin.  


“So good. I’m so close Alex.”  


“Already?” There was laughter in his voice, and John squirmed again. “Touch yourself for me. Stroke that cock while I lick your tight little ass. Want to see that beautiful face as you come undone on my tongue.”  


He whimpered and brought one hand down, grasping himself firmly and giving dry strokes. Alex probed his tongue inside, slowly working himself in as John cried out in sharp, shallow breaths above him. It didn’t take long for John to feel the heat rising inside of him, pushing him higher and higher until he toppled over the edge, a broken moan spilling from his lips as he spurted hot cum all over his chest and stomach, Alex still working his tongue in and out of his ass. John gave one last stuttering breath as he finally stilled and then sank his hips into the mattress. Alex withdrew a moment later, moving up John’s body and licking at the sticky mess on his skin. A leftover stab of arousal hit him as he watched Alex lap up every last drop of his cum, wiping his mouth on the back of his wrist as he sat back up. He briefly stood to toss John a nightshirt and helped him pull it on without getting up from the bed.  


“Love you, sweetheart,” he said, placing a kiss to the top of John’s head and laying down next to him. John snuggled into his side, burying his face in the soft material of Alex’s shirt.  


“Love you too,” he answered, a yawn creeping into his voice. He allowed sleep to tug him down, content and satisfied, his heart full and his mind blissfully clear.


	4. Chapter 4

Some mornings, John woke up pressed tightly against Lafayette. With Alex’s habit of waking up far too early, often the two of them were left alone in the bed. Sometimes they would shift as they slept, unthinkingly moving closer to one another, and sometimes when John woke he was trapped in Lafayette’s arms, his protective grip too tight to disentangle himself. If Lafayette was embarrassed or uncomfortable with this, he didn’t let it show. John would always feign sleep when it happened. He’d pretend he didn’t notice to avoid talking about it, but he couldn’t shake off the wonderfully safe feeling it stirred up inside of him. 

This morning was one of those mornings. Lafayette had one arm around his waist and was curled up against his back, his warmth comforting as John tried to pull himself out of the haze of sleep. He vaguely wondered how the hell Alex got out of bed in the mornings, sure any way he tried to maneuver himself out of Lafayette’s hold would wake him. Despite his better judgement, he pushed himself further back against Lafayette, radiating with warmth as he gave a small, sleepy noise and buried his face into John’s neck. The tiny movements, hot breath at his neck, it all had John frustratingly turned on. He closed his eyes, willing the inevitable boner to be held at bay until he could escape, but all he accomplished was shutting out the rest of the world and allowing the fantasies to flood his mind. 

Lafayette grabbing his hips and pulling him around so they were facing each other. Lafayette capturing his lips in a deep, commanding kiss. Lafayette reaching around and grabbing at the flesh of his ass and squeezing tight, fingernails digging into his skin. Long fingers moving down to where he really wanted them, pressing teasingly and asking him how badly he wanted his cock. He let out a low moan, momentarily forgetting about his current reality, and stiffened when he felt Lafayette shift behind him, stretching out his body and slowly unwinding his arms from John’s waist. He felt him sit up in the bed, but he didn’t stand. John could practically feel the burn of his gaze, but he just kept his eyes closed. If Lafayette thought he was asleep maybe he wouldn’t think too much about the noise he had heard. Maybe he wouldn’t notice the state of John’s cock underneath his nightshirt. After a few torturously long minutes, he felt a hand press lightly against his upper arm. “Laurens?” He gave John one final squeeze before breathing out a sigh and standing up from the bed. John thought he heard him mutter something under his breath in French, too quiet and quick for him to catch. He listened carefully for the sound of the door, the sound of Lafayette leaving for the day, but it never came. After a reasonable amount of time, he stretched out with an audible yawn, deciding he would likely have woken up by now if he hadn’t already been awake for a short while, and not wanting to seem like anything was out of the ordinary. He rolled over onto his other side, taking in the sight of Lafayette sitting at his writing desk wearing nothing but a loose-fitting pair of navy pants. He swallowed hard, unable to tear his gaze away from muscled arms and broad shoulders as Lafayette finished his letter. After placing his quill down next to the parchment, he turned his chair to the side to look at John. “Good morning, mon chéri,” he said brightly, gracing John with a dazzling smile. 

“Morning,” he replied, his voice still thick with sleep, propping himself up on his elbow and feeling grateful that his dick had gone soft again since Lafayette had left the bed. “What’re you doing over there?”

“Writing a letter to an old friend. We should hit shore in the colonies within the week, and I will have it delivered once we reach land.” 

John blinked in surprise, unaware that they were landing in the colonies. The last time he had been in the colonies was right before he had been taken captive by Alex and Lafayette, and he felt his heart stir with an unexpected swell of longing. He wasn't sure what to make of this news. He had been under the assumption they were headed for the West Indies. “What sort of friend? Is he…?” he trailed off, motioning wordlessly to the space around them. 

“Is he a pirate?” John nodded. “No, but he is a not a threat to us either. I have mentioned we stay up to date with the politics and events on both sides of the Atlantic, yes? Well to do that we need informants. Keeping in touch with old friends from my time in America can be very useful to that end.”

John hummed in understanding. “So,” he started slowly, attempting to keep his voice even and his expression innocent. “Where exactly are we landing in the colonies?”

Lafayette squinted at him, suddenly suspicious. “Why?”

John huffed at him, his brow furrowing. “I’m not a prisoner anymore," he said, indignant. "Am I not allowed to know our travel plans?”

“You are,” he began reluctantly. “We should be arriving in Charleston. We have business in the West Indies after, so we wanted to keep our course further south.”

“Charleston?” John repeated, needing to make sure he heard correctly. 

“Yes, Charleston.” Lafayette eyed him cautiously as a handful of emotions flitted over John’s face. 

“Why didn’t either of you tell me?” His tone was sharper than he intended, and Lafayette threw his hands up in surrender. 

“Alexander asked me not to.” He looked guilty, and John could see him visibly shrink back in his chair a little bit.

“Why?” he fired back, blood running hot through his veins. 

“He was worried how you would react. He thought you might do something rash.”

“That’s some bullshit coming from Alex,” he snapped, his voice rising. 

“Laurens, you do not have the best history of thinking things through either. He was just trying to protect you.”

“Well I don’t need protecting!” he fumed, running a hand through his hair. The words were loud in his ears, clouding his thoughts so they were tinted red. “Not from Alex, or you, or anyone else! In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a child. I’m perfectly capable of handling the truth and making my own decisions.”

“I know this,” Lafayette said, trying to bring John down from the height of his anger. “I do. I am sorry Alexander did not want to tell you, and I am sorry I agreed to keep it from you. It was wrong of both of us.”

John kept his arms crossed, but he could feel the fire dying down inside of him. “Yeah, it was. And your apology doesn’t count for him by the way. He needs to tell me if he’s sorry himself.” 

“I know. I am sorry I upset you like this. It was not my intention.”

John felt his shoulders slump, the fight finally gone out of him. “It’s okay. I appreciate that you eventually told me at least. Even if you weren't planning on it.” His words were still accusatory, but they had lost the bite they carried just a moment ago. 

Lafayette gave him a small shrug. “Well, you are right. You deserve to know. I would be very upset if someone kept something like that from me as well.” They were both quiet for a moment, Lafayette storing his letter and quill away and John getting up to put some clothes on. “Are you hungry, Laurens?” he asked, standing up from his chair and tugging a shirt over his head. “Because I am starving.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, pulling on his boots as Lafayette shrugged on his coat. “I could go for some breakfast.” As the two of them walked up the stairs together, John trailing a step behind, he couldn’t ignore the nagging pain tugging at his heart. They had lied to him. One of the things that had made his life here so different from his life back home was a feeling of authenticity, and now he felt like that fragile comfort had shattered. But with any luck, the argument distracted Lafayette enough to make him forget about John’s slip up while they were in the bed together, and that was worth something at least. 

 

Dinner was tense that night. John had been short with Alex all day, giving him sharp, clipped answers to questions and spending no more time around him than necessary. Now the sun was getting low and the three of them ate bowls of beef stew while sitting against the edge of the ship, Lafayette situated between the two of them. The silence was uncomfortable, heavy and loaded, but Alex and John were both too stubborn to speak first. 

Growing tired of it, Lafayette cleared his throat. “Alexander,” he prompted, giving him a pointed look. 

“Yes?” His tone was strained.

“Stop being a nuisance and just talk to John.”

“About what?” he spat, his fists balled at his sides. “I’m not the one who has a problem here.”

“Please, Alexander-” But John cut him off, voice bitter and angry as he sharply turned to face him.

“Well you fucking lied to me. You don’t think that’s a problem?”

“I did not lie to you. You never asked if we were going to Charleston.” 

“I asked where we were headed, and you said the West Indies!”

“We are going to the West Indies!” he shouted exasperatedly. “I didn’t lie to you, and I don’t know why you’re acting so cross with me.”

John felt the muscles in his arm tighten, the instinct to hit him strong. He used all of his self control to bring his hand to his lap and grip his knee tightly instead. “You knew I’d want to know we were stopping in Charleston. Stop trying to talk your way out of this. You knew, and you deliberately kept it from me.”

“Yeah, I did! And I’m not sorry about it.” It looked like Lafayette was about to say something, but Alex just raised his voice and pushed ahead. “I was doing the smart thing. We don’t need you freaking out or god forbid trying to get in contact with your family. The whole thing was safer with you not knowing.” He growled in frustration, then turned on Lafayette. “And you. You shouldn’t have told him! We agreed not to tell him.”

Lafayette stood abruptly, taking his half-finished bowl with him. “I do not need this. You two can yell at each other out here where the entire crew can hear you if you wish, but I will not sit here and let you scream at me for something that is your own fault.” He started walking back towards the stairs before turning around one last time. “Alexander, if you cannot apologize to Laurens before you come back inside then you can find somewhere else to sleep tonight. I am nearly positive the mattress John first used is around somewhere on the ship.” Then he turned on his heel and descended the stairs, leaving the two of them alone and in a little bit of shock. 

“I slept on the ground for a good while as a child. I can do it again if I need to,” Alex grumbled, his eyes fixed on the floorboards.

“Or you could just admit it was wrong to keep that from me, and you can sleep in our bed like always.”

He glared at John, his eyes narrowed. “I wasn’t wrong. What are you going to do when we get to South Carolina? Now that you know?” As he waited for an answer he leaned forward, his expression hard and unyielding.

John felt his heart pounding harder than normal, blood heating his face as shame and anger pooled inside him. “That’s beside the point.”

“No, it’s not,” Alex retorted, his voice rising again and hands clenching into fists. “That is the point. It’s the whole reason I didn’t tell you.”

“It doesn’t matter, alright? It’s my decision to make, not yours.”

“It does matter if it could endanger all the men on this ship because your father suddenly knows what happened to his precious first-born son. I can’t trust you to think logically when it comes to this stuff. And apparently, I can’t trust Lafayette to think things through anymore either. Not with you pouting at him until you get your way.”

“I didn’t pout at him, asshole." He glanced away briefly, taking a moment to try to organize his thoughts before Alex could jump back in again. When he spoke again, he felt marginally more calm. "Fuck, Alex, I haven’t done anything yet. Maybe if you had told me we were going to Charleston instead of keeping it secret we could have discussed which courses of action would be safe and which would be dangerous. I’m capable of thinking things through, you know. You need to trust me.” 

Alex let out a huff of breath and closed his eyes. “You’re right,” he said quietly, eyes still closed. 

John’s mouth dropped open in surprise, his eyes wide. “What was that?”

“You’re right.” He finally opened his eyes, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth before continuing. “I should have trusted you to make the right decision. It’s just that… never mind. I’m sorry, okay?” 

“Alex?" He swallowed, his throat feeling dry. "What were you going to say?”

He turned his head to stare at some spot on the floor to their left. He looked conflicted as worked through his thoughts, keeping his voice low when he finally spoke. “I just don’t want to lose you. Wealthy people generally aren’t drawn to piracy for a reason. For someone without an inheritance or land, someone like me, there’s an endless list of advantages. Most people turn to piracy so that they can improve their lives. It gives them something they didn’t have living in a traditional society. But for someone like you? What could you possibly gain from all of this? There’s nothing to make this sort of life worth it to you. I already somehow got lucky enough to find Lafayette. I can’t be fortunate enough to have both of you stay. It just doesn’t make sense. And when we land in Charleston, I’m worried that you’ll realize how much better life could be if you stayed there.”

“Alex,” John said softly, reaching out and placing a hand on his thigh. “You’re missing one important point. I do have something to make all of this worth it to me, and that something is you.”

Alex finally turned to face him again, and John had never seen him look so vulnerable. He was normally so confident, so in control, so cocky. He couldn’t be angry with him. Not when he looked like that. He wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him in closer. Let Alex rest his head against his shoulder. He listened to their breaths, deep and in sync with one another. He still felt a small twinge of hurt, knew they’d have to talk more later about communication and trust, but for now he just wanted a break from all of it. Just wanted to allow himself to sit there and feel loved and let Alex feel that love in return. “I’d never give this up,” he whispered, placing a kiss to the top of Alex’s head. “Not for money, or my family, or for the whole continental army.”


	5. Chapter 5

It was late spring by the time the crew neared the American coast. They had gotten word that the area was now under British control, and therefore they would have to be even more careful. John felt a deep sense of fear for his family. He had no idea whether they were still in South Carolina or not. No clue whether they had been taken prisoner or worse. He itched for a scrap of information on their whereabouts. Needed to know whether they were safe. 

He paced the length of the deck as final preparations were made, restless energy trapped with nowhere to go. They were set to sail into port tomorrow morning, and the ship had been disguised as a British war vessel, any signs of its true purpose hidden below deck. John had been surprised when Alex showed him the British flags they had in storage, the redcoat uniforms they would be wearing. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. They had been out on the seas since the beginning of the war pretty much. It was unsurprising that they had run into a few British ships during that time, and it only made sense to keep anything they could that would work as disguises. Still, the thought of donning that uniform didn’t sit well with him. The thought of mingling with British soldiers nearly made him sick to his stomach. 

But if he played his cards right he could find out what happened to his family, and that was worth putting up with the rather unpleasant situation. He sipped a bit of rum out of the flask at his hip and relished the warm burn down his throat. He had kept it close to him all day, a security net of sorts. Dulled the anxiety in his mind just enough to keep him functioning as they got things ready for tomorrow. Alex had predicted he would freak out, so he needed to prove him wrong and stay collected. He paused to stare down at the sea, the waves rippling and glimmering in the afternoon sun. He had always loved the way the water seemed to sparkle like it was full of tiny gems. He took a deep breath and willed his thoughts to quiet for just a moment. 

Then he felt a hand high on his back, in between his shoulder blades, a firm but gentle pressure. He glanced up to see Lafayette standing next to him, concern in his eyes. “Hey,” he mumbled, turning back towards the water. 

“They are fine, Laurens,” he said, voice steady and comforting. “Even if they were taken captive, they would not be treated badly. You know that important people are rarely harmed in instances like these. They would more likely be held until an exchange could be made. Just relax, chéri. Everything is alright.”

John blinked up at him, biting his tongue to avoid snapping an undeserved angry response. He knew that they would probably be okay. Logically he did know that. He wasn’t stupid. He had seen situations like this play out before, but as long as they didn’t really know, as long as there was a chance they were dead or harmed or starving in a cell somewhere, he couldn’t simply relax. “I know.” It was all he could think to say without working himself up. 

Lafayette stayed there with him for a while, hand still resting at his back, a strong, grounding presence. John tried to clear his mind as he stared at the waves. Let himself drift. Eventually Lafayette pulled away, straightened up. Cleared his throat. “There is a lot to get done before the morning. Come help us gather loot to trade in at the markets. We need everyone to help if we are going to be successful tomorrow.” His words weren’t accusing or demanding. He simply offered the suggestion, searching John’s face for signs that he was going to be able to handle this. John gave a small nod of his head, pushing himself up from the edge of the ship. He could do this. What other choice did he have? 

 

They got up earlier than normal the next morning, Alex tugging the other two out of bed and jabbering at them until they started to truly wake up, going over plans for what had to be the thousandth time. John tried to block him out, already feeling too anxious to listen to all of it once more. He just needed to relax. Just needed to calm down and get out there. He knew the plan. He knew what his role was. He knew all of the dangers. Hearing it again was just causing unnecessary nerves. He got up from the bed as Alex was still talking and tugged on the British uniform that had been laid out for him the night before. A tiny bit big, but all things considered a decent fit. He stared at his hands. Looked down and inspected what he could see of his own body. Red coat. White clothes underneath. Shiny buttons. It felt strange to be in uniform again, even if it wasn’t his own uniform. Some part of his past-self stirred inside of him, and the feeling of it twisted his stomach into knots. 

“I’ll be up on deck,” he announced abruptly, cutting Alex off. 

He earned a huff in response. “But John, we need to go over plans!”

“I know them already. You know them. Lafayette knows them. We’ll be fine.” He strolled out the door without turning back and ascended the stairs. He felt a twinge of guilt. Knew he shouldn’t be so irritable with Alex when he was just trying to be prepared. But it was all getting under his skin. 

Not many of the men were up and about yet, so John had the luxury of relative privacy as he glanced across the water at the far-off port. Charleston. It was still fairly dark outside, the sun barely peaking over the horizon, and the whole landscape had a calming glow to it. The atmosphere, the quiet, the breeze on his face, it was all almost enough to soothe his nerves into a manageable state. He took a deep breath. Then another. And another. Let the salty air fill his lungs and clear his mind. He gripped the edge of the ship and tilted his head all the way back so he was staring at the remaining stars. Bright. Sparkling. Pretty. 

After a long while, John heard someone walk over and stop at his side. He looked to his right and gave Lafayette a small smile, still gripping the wood beneath his fingers. He was wearing one of the uniforms as well now, and John felt a shiver run through his body as he took in his appearance. His coat made his shoulders look even broader, and the stark white shirt underneath contrasted beautifully with his skin. The tight breeches hugged muscular thighs, and the high black boots just made him look impossibly taller. He had to swallow hard before he could bring himself to speak. “Hey,” he said, voice hushed. “Where’s Alex?” 

“He is rousing the rest of the crew. Making sure they are awake and ready so we can sail for shore soon.” He turned so he could lean his back against the wood, his arm brushing against John’s and lingering there as it fell to rest at his side. “How are you feeling?” 

“I’m fine.” It was an automatic response, and not a very convincing one. 

“It is alright to be scared, Laurens. We know this is a very emotion-filled trip for you. And not knowing what you will see or hear can be frightening.”

“I’m not scared.” He kept his gaze stubbornly forward as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m fine.”

“You can say that over and over, but you are obviously tense. You have been this way for days now. We need to know you are alright before you go out there with us. You will need to have your wits about you. This is not the kind of situation in which we can afford to have mistakes.”

He sighed, letting out the built-up stress in his shoulders. “I know. And I am… nervous. I’m worried about the things I might find out. Even more than that I’m angry. I know I don’t always act like I had a great life in Charleston or anything, but it’s where all of my memories from my childhood are. It’s where I would sit outside and listen to my mother tell me stories. That place is where I lived all of the happier years of my life. Before she was gone, and I was sent over to Europe for school. Before things got confusing and difficult. To know that the British have taken that place from me is so infuriating. Which is ridiculous because I gave it up anyway, right?” He gave a short, humorless laugh. “Why should I mourn the capture of a place that I voluntarily left behind?”

“It is not ridiculous. It is still a part of you. Just like this is a part of you.” He motioned to the ship and the ocean at large. “I would feel the same if something similar happened to Chavaniac or Paris.” He gave John’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “We need to know you can do this though, Laurens. No matter what you see or hear, you will need to stay calm. You will need to keep up your act and adhere to the plan. Can you do this?”

John brought his eyes up to match Lafayette’s gaze, a hardened look washing over his features. “Yeah,” he said firmly, trying to project confidence. “I can do it. I need to do it. Plus, it’ll feel good to screw over those damn Brits,” he added, flashing a grin. “Don’t worry, I’m with you. Always.” 

Lafayette smiled back at him, and suddenly the eye contact was held too long. The air felt heavy, like it could choke him. He was frozen to his spot, couldn’t move, couldn’t even speak. He wanted to speak though. Oh, the things he wished he were brave enough to admit to Lafayette. 

“Are you two ready?” Alex marched over to them with impatience practically vibrating off of him. He had put on his uniform as well, completing their matching set. 

“Yes, mon chou, of course. We are ready to go.”

“Well, captain, maybe you could… oh I don’t know… go lead your crew? Why am I the only one doing any of the work? You should be getting them prepared and organizing everything, not me.”

“That is why I have a first mate, no? To delegate things like this.” John could see the glint in his eye, but Alex didn’t seem to appreciate the teasing. 

“Nope. Not my job to do the things you’re feeling too lazy to do. And I’m only your first mate because we couldn’t have two captains, and I was nice enough to let you have the title. Don’t take advantage of that.”

“That is not how I remember that conversation, my love.”

“Whatever. It’s not my fault you have a shit memory. Just go give the crew a pep talk or whatever it is you do.”

Lafayette straightened up from where he was leaning, stretching for a moment before he made to leave. He turned to Alex briefly, gave him a soft look. “We are plenty prepared, love. I need you to stop with all of the snapping and irritability. It is not helping anything.” Alex bit his lip and shrugged one shoulder in reluctant acquiescence. Lafayette gave him a comforting smile before walking towards where the rest of the men were gathered, getting the ship ready to sail. 

“So, you feeling okay?” Alex asked him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. 

“Yeah, I’m good.” Alex gave him a skeptical look. “Seriously, I’m feeling completely ready.”

“Okay,” he said, still sounding unsure. “We can’t have you going through an emotional breakdown in the middle of the streets.”

“I know that,” he replied, his voice unwavering. He grabbed Alex’s hand, held it tightly. “I’m going to do fine today, alright? But I really, really need you to stop doubting me and bugging me about it, or I’m going to push you off the ship.”

Alex’s face lit up with laughter. “Fine. Sorry. I’m just worried.”

“I know you are, but you don’t have to worry about me, alright? I just want you to relax and focus.”

Alex smiled, squeezing his hand back. The ship started picking up speed, wind catching in the sails and pushing them smoothly through the waves. “Here we go,” Alex said, putting an arm around John’s shoulders and tugging him closer. “Ready or not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All your comments are lovely <3
> 
> Come say hi on tumblr @ilovefoodandgirls


	6. Chapter 6

The port where they docked was much different than John remembered it. He walked in towards the city with Alex and Lafayette, drinking in all he could with his eyes. People lined the streets, carts and markets set up to sell everything from food to trinkets. He made eye contact with a few different strangers as they walked. They dropped their gaze, flinched, looked away. John could sense the general unhappiness and distrust in the air. An occupied city was never a happy place for the people that lived there, and he imagined the British soldiers had not been kind. As they reached a point where two roads met, Alex pulled them aside, placing a hand on each of their arms. 

“Alright, this is where we split. I’m going to see what’s available, and hopefully we’ll have a good stock of food for a little while. Those textiles we got a month or so ago should fetch a high price. It’s not like European goods are commonplace over here right now. Grayson and Morris are going to see what they can pick off from the different stalls.” He took a moment to stare hard at John, his grip on his arm getting tighter. “John, stay with Lafayette, alright? Just like we planned. You guys are in a dangerous position, and if something goes wrong you’ll need each other’s help.”

“We’re just talking to people, Alex.”

“You’re gathering intelligence. And if you fuck it up and they find out who you are, they won’t be too happy about it. Especially considering your family’s connections to the revolution. Are you sure you don’t want to come with me instead? You wouldn’t have to talk to anyone. I could do all the haggling, and you could just keep watch and make sure everything’s running smoothly.”

“Alex,” John said sharply, resisting the urge to cross his arms over his chest. “I’m going with Lafayette. I don’t want to watch you barter. I want to find out some goddamn information about what’s happened since I’ve been gone.”

“Fine, got it. Just…” he bit his lip, looking up into John’s eyes through his lashes. “Be careful, okay?” 

“Mon chou,” Lafayette said softly, gripping him on the shoulder. “He is going to be perfectly fine. We are going together. We have done things like this plenty of times in the past. Everything is okay.”

“Yeah, don’t worry Alex.” John gave him a small smile, wishing he could pull him into a hug, but too aware of the eyes all around them. “I know the plan. I’ll be careful, I promise.” 

Alex swallowed hard, giving them both one final, long, warm look before taking a step back towards his path. “I’ll see you both back at the ship.” Then he turned around in one smooth motion and began heading down the road towards the markets. 

They both stood there in silence, watching Alex walk away until he turned a corner and was gone. John felt his heart clench, but shook it off. He couldn’t start worrying about Alex now, they had a job to do after all. He glanced up at Lafayette, and caught him staring, concern in his eyes. 

“I’m fine,” he answered before Lafayette could ask. “Just want to get a move on, yeah?”

“Alright,” Lafayette said softly, placing a hand briefly at the small of his back and turning them in the right direction. They walked side by side, about a foot of space between them, down the dirt road. They stayed mostly silent, unable to talk normally without fear of saying something incriminating. John took the opportunity to steal glances at Lafayette, looking particularly nice in his uniform. He paused his thoughts for a moment to appreciate the ridiculousness of the situation. He never thought a man in a British uniform would stir up arousal inside of him, but then again, he never imagined he’d be walking next to someone as gorgeous as Lafayette. He fell half a step behind on purpose, just to watch the muscles in his back and ass as he moved, hidden beneath layers of clothing but still wonderfully mesmerizing.

Too soon, they were approaching a tavern, Lafayette leading them with confidence in his stride. John honestly felt like his stomach was in his throat, the thought of mingling and pretending to be a Redcoat sending his nerves into overdrive, but he had come too far to turn back now. Besides, he had questions he needed answered. He dutifully set his jaw and followed Lafayette inside, trying to project the same sense of self-assurance. 

It was dark and loud inside, with men gathered round at tables drinking and raising their voices to be heard over one another. John noticed a number of women milling around the tavern also, plunging necklines and faces painted with makeup. Lafayette lead them up to get drinks, tossing the coins on the counter in exchange for two large glasses. He handed one to John and raised his own to his lips, taking a long, deep sip and letting out a sigh of pleasure afterward. John took a sip of his own. It was a little heavy for his tastes, but he figured he couldn’t really be choosy. They took seats at the end of one of the long tables, John on the edge of the bench and Lafayette a good foot and a half away from him. The men across from them were in the middle of a heated discussion, and both John and Lafayette did their best to look casual as they listened in.

“I’m telling you, it’s only a matter of time. With all of the blows the rebels have been striking against our forces, the war cannot go on much longer. It just doesn’t make financial sense.”

“But do you really think a nation as powerful as England is going to just give up its hold here? What kind of message does that send out to the world?”

“The message that they’re smart enough to retreat when a cause isn’t worth it and save those resources for other purposes. If we continue this for much longer, soon we won’t have any money for our own people back home.”

Lafayette leaned forward in his seat, grabbing their attention. “So, it is a matter of pride versus common sense then. The question remaining then becomes, is the political climate in England stable enough to hold onto our stubborn control of the colonies, or is there enough discontent to flip public opinion and force the king to make the correct decision?” He spoke with a carefully constructed British accent, his eyebrows raised as he waited for an answer. 

“Well, from what I hear the popular opinion is shifting towards ending the war, and I can see why. These damn colonies aren’t worth all the effort. Not worth losing thousands of more men. Let them have the land, we’re better off without them, I say.”

John grit his teeth, but Lafayette just chuckled. “I have to say, I believe you are right about that. It is certainly not worth more suffering. How long do you think it will be until it is all over?”

The other man leaned forward onto his elbow, jutting back into the conversation. “How can you both be content to roll over and face defeat? You are talking like men who have already lost,” he exclaimed, taking a sip of his beer before continuing. “And what about you?” His gaze found John’s face, held him with a hard stare. “What do you think about all this?”

John licked his lips, his throat feeling suddenly dry. “I don’t know exactly. I obviously don’t want us to lose, but it is a lot of sacrifice. However, I disagree with the claim that the colonies aren’t worth much. The amount of raw goods produced here could vastly improve our economy and bring even more wealth to England. Though, it’s difficult to balance just how important they are to us with the pains we are going through to hold onto them.”

“Fair enough. What are your names, again? I don’t recall seeing you around here recently.”

“Williams,” Lafayette responded smoothly. “And Davidson,” he finished, patting John heavily on the upper back as he introduced him. “We were just relocated here the other day. There were only a small number of us, so I do not blame you for being unaware.”

“Oh, yeah, I think I heard something about that around town.” John suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at the blatant lie. “It’s good that they’re bringing more men in, even if it’s not as much as we would’ve liked.”

Lafayette tilted his head to the side a bit. “Do you think Charleston needs more support than this?”

“Well, yeah. With all of the skirmishes going on in the countryside and the number of losses we’ve sustained recently, it would be reassuring to have a stronger presence here. You know, make sure we can truly hold the harbor until the end of the war.”

“Of course.” Lafayette nodded encouragingly. “It would help things run smoother too, I am sure.”

“Very true. Can we buy you two gentlemen a drink? You’re new here after all.”

“That would be wonderful, thank you,” Lafayette replied, smiling indulgently. When John remained silent, Lafayette elbowed him under the table.

He held in his grunt of pain with annoyance. “Yes, thank you. That’s very generous of you.”

The two men got up, and Lafayette picked up his glass to finish it off. Once they were out of earshot, John leaned closer to whisper. “We need more than this. Let’s go and find someone else.”

Lafayette looked down at him with a stern expression. “We cannot just leave. That will arouse suspicion. Just trust me, we are getting plenty of good information, and we will continue to get more as we drink with them.”

“But-”

“Hush. We should not be speaking of this now, it’s dangerous. Just stick to the plan.”

John glared at the wooden table, willing himself to remain collected. The plan was important. It was well thought out. He tried to remember the words Alex had repeated over and over and over in the past week, but he was having a surprisingly hard time recalling precisely what he had said. They were all using their strengths in different areas to accomplish everything they needed in a short amount of time and get back out to sea. Being in a city like this was dangerous. They could be arrested, jailed, killed. And who was John to blame them for it? He would have supported the same thing, in this same city, not very long ago. So, it was far too reckless to deviate from their original strategy. But then again, when was the next time he would he be in Charleston?

He glanced up as the two men returned with four pint glasses, carelessly setting them onto the table. John watched as a bit splashed over the edge of his glass, dripping down onto the coarse wood. He brought the glass to his lips, taking a long drink while they started conversing again. He let their voices wash over him, having a hard time concentrating. His mind just kept drifting back to other ways of getting the information he really wanted. If he stayed here with Lafayette, they would just keep talking vaguely about the war. The general scope of things was all well and good, but John wasn’t going to waste his only time in Charleston completely ignoring the fact that he didn’t know whether his family was dead or alive. 

John knew Lafayette would be upset with him for breaking off, but he wasn’t too worried about that. He was much more concerned about Alex’s response if he completely ignoring his promise to stick to their plan and play it safe. He’d be absolutely furious. But as much as he didn’t want to disappoint Lafayette, as much as he loved Alex, as much as he didn’t want to hurt or worry either of them, he needed to know. He finished off his beer as quick as he could, while the others continued to chat. When he was finally done, he stood up from the bench. “I’ll be back in a moment. It seems those drinks have gone right through me.” As he walked away from the table he glanced back, made sure Lafayette wasn’t watching as he slipped out the door. The sun was shining and the air was warm, but John barely felt it heating up his skin. All he could feel was the chill of the unknown, adrenaline beginning to pump through his veins with each step. He could do this. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a long, deep sigh. He only hoped Alex and Lafayette would be able to understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh John... why... 
> 
> Thank you to those of you who consistently comment, you hold a special place in my heart
> 
> Come find me on tumblr @ilovefoodandgirls


	7. Chapter 7

As John wandered through the streets he became increasingly aware of just how many British soldiers there were occupying Charleston. It was strange. Even though he had grown up here, even though these streets should have been familiar, he felt like an outsider. A stranger in his own home. His uniform felt suddenly too tight, and he itched to take it off. Settled on simply tugging at his cravat to loosen it a little. He felt foolish. Reckless. He had run off from Lafayette, strayed from their plan, and for what? He didn’t have a clue what he was doing. Not really. But it was too late to turn back now. He turned another corner, headed for a small stall selling oysters and pulled a few coins out of his pocket. 

The man running the stall pocketed his money, staring at him for a beat too long. “You look awfully familiar. Can’t place my finger on where I’ve seen you before.”

John’s shoulders tensed, but he kept his face carefully neutral and shrugged. “Perhaps you’ve seen me around town.”

“No, that’s not it…” he trailed off, still staring until John coughed and turned his face to the side, glancing down the other end of the street. “Oh well. Doesn’t matter. I’ll have those out for you in just a moment, sir.”

“Thank you.” John took a deep breath. Allowed the man to grab a couple of oysters as he built up his confidence enough to speak again. “So, how long have you run this business?” 

“Hmm?” He glanced up from the counter, surprised that John was speaking with him. “Oh, about eight years now? It’s been a long while. It keeps the family fed.” 

“So, you’ve been in the city through a lot of changes then. How are things now, compared to when you first started?”

The man looked weary. John knew he was selecting his words carefully. Knew he was worried about the impact the wrong sentence to a British soldier could have. “Things are different. Can’t complain. I’m still here, still selling to customers and making a living.”

John nodded his head, tried to convey some sense of encouragement. “Tell you the truth, I haven’t been in this city very long, and I don’t know very much about the recent events here. When the rebels were driven out, what happened to all of them? There’s clearly no one causing trouble now, so I assume they must have been taken care of one way or another.”

He shrugged, head down as he shucked the shells. “From what I’ve heard most of the soldiers were jailed. A lot of them were taken to other locations outside of Charleston. Different colonies.” 

“What about civilians? Did anything happen to those who were sympathetic to the rebel cause?” 

The man pursed his lips as he placed two opened oysters down in between them. “I don’t know too many specifics. I think most of the people who didn’t cooperate were jailed as well. I can assure you, there’s no reason to hold any contempt for the civilians you’ll see in town now. We all pledged our word that we wouldn’t cause any trouble for the British.” 

“I have no doubt. I don’t hold any ill feelings, no need to worry. I just like to know what’s going on in the places I’m stationed, that’s all.” He picked up one of the oysters, slurped its contents down and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. 

“Well, not all British soldiers feel that way,” he remarked, tone of bitterness in his voice. “Not that I mean any disrespect,” he caught himself, suddenly looking worried. John wanted to say something, anything, to reassure him. But what could he say without giving himself away? He shrugged off the comment, grabbing the second oyster and finishing that one as well. 

“Those were delicious. Thank you, for the food and the conversation.” He threw down another coin, giving the man a smile.

“You really do seem familiar,” he said again, frowning. 

“I’m sure you’re just thinking of someone else,” John responded, turning away. “Have a good day, and stay out of trouble.” He walked off quickly, hoping the man wouldn’t dwell on that thought too much. His head buzzed with new information. It was things he had assumed already, but hearing it come out of someone else’s lips, someone who had been there during the British takeover, made it seem much more real. Most of the soldiers, most of the uncooperative civilians, jailed and moved to other locations. John couldn’t imagine they would let someone as involved in the revolution as his own father stay in town with his family. He also couldn’t imagine his father willingly pledging his loyalty to the British invaders. So, they were probably jailed somewhere. That seemed like the most likely outcome. However… His mind drifted to other situations. Situations where his family was murdered in their home for their rebellion against England. He still couldn’t be sure about happened to them. Not really. He couldn’t know for sure until he heard someone specifically tell him the information he needed. But where would he get that information? How could he ask something so specific without revealing his true intent? 

He kept on down the street, focusing on his footsteps to occupy his mind, to stop himself from going crazy with worry. He didn’t know what to do now. He was starting to realize this whole plan to go off on his own and find out the truth was incredibly flawed. He didn’t have any idea how to get the information he needed, and instead of doing the smart thing, staying with Lafayette and doing all he could to help draw more and more words from the British soldiers in the tavern, he had acted out of fear and irritation, exactly as he said he wouldn’t. Alex was right. He couldn’t be trusted to act rationally. All he had done today was prove him correct. Prove that he was too emotional in matters involving his family to be trusted with something this important. He brought a hand up to his face, rubbing at his temple with his fingers. Maybe he could still go back and find Lafayette. 

“Hey!” John whipped his head towards the source of the voice, his heart pounding hard against his ribcage. A small group of British soldiers had just come up from a side street, heading towards him. He gulped down his anxiety, willing his body to relax, his heart to settle. As they got a bit closer, the one who had called out gave him a once over. “What are you doing wandering around by yourself?”

John shrugged his shoulders helplessly as they all stared at him. “I was just getting something to eat?” he tried, glancing back towards the man selling oysters. He relaxed a bit as they seemed to easily accept his answer. 

“Well, we thought you looked like you could use some company. I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before,” he said, glancing around at the others who all shrugged or shook their heads. “What’s your name?”

He was silent a beat, recalling the fake name he was using. “Samuel Davidson,” he offered, extending his hand. The other man shook it with a grin. “I just got into Charleston the other day. A small number of us were moved down to South Carolina to make sure we can keep our hold on it.”

“Oh, where were you before?” another of the men asked, looking on with interest. 

“Virginia,” he responded, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt. He squeezed his fist at his side and then loosened it, trying to draw the stress into some sort of action so it would uncloud his mind. “We were mostly stationed near Portsmouth.”

“How were things going when you left?” yet another of the men asked. “I heard Virginia is pretty much a lost cause at this point.”

John swallowed, fearing he was in over his head. He could feel sweat starting to build on his skin.“Yeah, it wasn’t very good. We couldn’t hold much ground besides the coast. When we tried to move inland, well, there were just too many of them and they know the land so well. It made more sense to protect what we do have a strong hold on rather than stay there and continue wasting supplies and energy.”

The first man gave a bitter laugh. “I wouldn’t say we have a strong hold on Charleston, necessarily. Sure, they haven’t been able to attack us in the city yet, but all through the colony there have been rebel armies attacking, and unfortunately winning the battles.” He looked worn down, John thought. His eyes seemed tired. “I’m Jones by the way. Nathaniel Jones.”

“Well, Jones,” he said, doing his best to make eye contact. “If you had seen how Virginia’s holding up, you would certainly think we have a fantastic hold here in comparison.”

He hummed in agreement. “You’re probably right about that. All perspective.” John nodded, hoping he was in the clear and they wouldn’t ask him much more about his previous post. “We were about to get a drink, care to join us?”

He didn’t. However, he had no excuse to leave. What could he say? “That sounds great.” He followed them as they headed in the opposite direction he came from. All the men talked and joked and laughed as they went, clearly at ease. This wasn’t an active war zone after all. This was a captured city, under complete control of the British. These soldiers had it easy. He had to bite his tongue as he watched one of them pluck an apple from a street cart, taking a bite without so much as a glance at the woman running the stall. She pursed her lips, but didn’t say anything. John wished he could punch the guy in the face. Or at least apologize for the terrible behavior. He could only stay quiet by telling himself over and over why it would be a horrible idea to do either of those things. 

When they got to the tavern, John was relieved to find it wasn’t the same one where he left Lafayette. He had enough complications at the moment without having to deal with that issue. He followed the other men in the doors, dim lighting casting a glow on the few people seated at tables and standing around the room. The place had a distinct musty smell. Jones walked up to the bar and procured them a round of drinks. John noted that money never exchanged hands and winced a bit. He didn’t want to be a part of this. 

As they sat down at one of the long tables, John took a long swig of his beer, hoping to settle his nerves. For the first round, he mostly listened to the conversation around him, hoping for something useful, but only hearing bland stories from their recent campaigns. By the second round of drinks, he felt a pleasant buzz running through his veins and found his tongue a little looser, adding his own contributions where he could. By the third round, all the men around the table were tipsy, John included. He should probably stop drinking now. The thought flitted through his mind, then drifted away when one of the men… Williams?... went up to get more. He accepted the glass gratefully and took a sip, the foam catching on his upper lip. 

“Davidson? Hello, Davidson?” Oh shit. That was him. 

He shook his head a bit to rattle his thoughts back into place. “Yeah?” 

“We were just asking which regiment you came from?”

Shit. Lafayette and Alex had intel on this. They had decided on a regiment that would hold up with their cover story. But John couldn’t think of which one it was for the life of him. The 5th? No that didn’t sound right. They were all staring at him. Waiting.

“From the 7th,” he said firmly, trying not to hold eye contact too long with any one man, afraid they would be able to read the dishonesty in his face. They were quiet for a moment, all staring at him, and then one of the men continued on with the conversation. John let out a tight breath, relief flooding his body. He allowed himself another sip of beer, appreciating the way it slid smoothly down his throat. Another deep breath, he inhaled the scent of his drink and smiled to himself. He could do this. 

But then he noticed Jones squinting a little too hard at him and that relief burned away in an instant. He tried not to dwell on it, tried not to let his apprehension show in his body language, tried not to let it seem as if anything was amiss. But then Jones leaned over to the man next to him. Spoke quietly in his ear, and then the second man was also staring at John a little too intently. He shoulders tensed involuntarily and he held back all of the curses that itched to escape his lips. He took another long swig of his drink, desperate to finish it and make some excuse to get the hell out of there. 

The final gulp tasted watery and sat uneasy in his stomach, but he set the glass down with finality and pushed himself away from the table a bit. “Well, thank you all so much for the drinks and conversation, but I really have to get going-”

“Davidson,” Jones cut him off, giving him a sharp look. John swallowed hard, his body tight and ready to run for it. “You said you were from the 7th regiment, but the 7th just recently left from here to go north. Now, why would someone lie about that?”

“I wasn’t lying,” John responded quickly, his heart thudding so loud it was practically all he could hear. “I just misspoke.” They didn’t believe him. John could see the shift in their body language, their faces all hard and scrutinizing. He had only one option at this point, but as soon as he went to push himself up from the bench, Jones stood up as well.

“Grab him!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ummmm so John is an idiot. At least he kind of recognizes it?
> 
> Please leave comments so I can muster the strength to make it through today and Friday <3 It's been a long week
> 
> Find me on tumblr @ilovefoodandgirls


	8. Chapter 8

John’s head buzzed as he knelt on the hard gravel, his wrists bound behind his back and ankles tied together, completely unable to stand or fight back. The group of British soldiers stood in a semicircle around him. The alley where they had dragged him before forcing him onto the ground was tight and smelled like rotting garbage. 

Jones leaned down to make eye contact with him, grabbing a fistful of hair at the nape of his neck and tugging painfully until John was forced to look up at his face. “Who are you?”

“Go to hell,” John spat out, glaring with all the defiance he could muster. 

A sharp sting across his cheek as a hand made contact, and John’s already swimming head absolutely reeled. Between the force of the blow and the effect of the alcohol, he wasn’t sure which way was up. After a couple of moments, he collected himself enough to straighten up again. 

“How about an easier question?” He nudged John back against the wall behind him with his boot, smirking at the grunt John gave when he made contact with the brick. “Where did you get that uniform?”

“In the bin with all the other trash.” He knew that was a stupid thing to say even before the bright pain erupted on his other cheek, his head knocked sideways with the blow. 

“You just can’t keep that mouth shut, now can you?” Ridiculously, it reminded him of something Alex had said to him when he was first captured on the ship. He wished Alex were here now. Or Lafayette. Anyone who could help him get out of this mess. 

“You know,” one of the other men said. “He looks awfully familiar.” John felt his stomach clench under the man’s scrutiny. He pulled at the bindings on his wrists, but there was no give. “I swear I’ve seen that face somewhere.”

“You sure?” another chimed in. “He doesn’t look familiar to me. Maybe you’re just imagining things, Richards.” 

John saw the man shrug out of the corner of his eye as Jones leaned back in, grabbing his chin and forcing his gaze forward. “You know, if you don’t feel like talking, we have ways of making you talk.” John tried to come up with a response through the fog in his mind, but all his brain could form was a sort of aggravated growl. Jones laughed, a hint of cruelty there. “You fancy yourself tough, don’t you? Funny, coming from someone so tiny.”

He felt flush rise to his cheeks, heating already red skin where he had been struck. “I’ve taken down men much more dangerous than you, you fucking slime.” 

He raised his eyebrows at that. “Oh really? That continues to beg the question then… who are you?” 

“Go fuck yourself.” A kick to the stomach, and the beer almost came back up. Almost, but not quite. He doubled over as much as his position would allow him, pain searing through his midsection. 

“Alright. If you’re not going to talk for us, we’ll see how you feel after a few days locked up.” A strong pair of hands grabbed underneath his arms and yanked him to his feet, drawing another grunt of discomfort out of him. “You’ll give in eventually. You rebels always do, once you’ve been torn down and stripped of your stupid sense of bravado.”

John grit his teeth and wobbled to the side a bit as the man who had pulled him up leaned down to cut the ropes off his ankles. As soon as he legs were freed, he gave the man a swift kick to the chest. “You little piece of shit,” he growled, shoving him back onto the ground. The side of his face dug uncomfortably into the gravel. “Stand up and keep your goddamn feet still or I’ll make sure you can’t move them again.”

They pushed him forward, towards the opening where the alley met the street, and he stumbled a bit, his legs still feeling a little numb from kneeling so long. They were almost back to the road, when a group of men rounded the corner, and John almost couldn’t suppress his scream of joy as he saw their faces. Lafayette lead a small group of men from the ship, pistols drawn as they approached, still decked out in British uniforms. “What is going on here?” Lafayette demanded, gun gripped tightly in his hand. 

The British soldiers looked confused, but answered him all the same. “We found ourselves a rebel spy,” Jones said smugly. 

“Really?” John watched as Lafayette drew closer. “Let me get a look at him.” The men moved aside as he came up next to John, peering down at him. John noticed the rest of the pirates circle in as well, most of them putting their pistols away as they did. He leaned in close, making direct eye contact with John, silent reassurance. Then, he pulled out his blade and cut John free from his bindings. In the same instant, all the men sprang into action around them. Bodies moved in a blur, swords drawn and clinking against one another. They had the element of surprise, and it took the British a few precious moments to catch up with exactly what was happening. Long enough for Lafayette to tug John out of the center of everything and hand him a dagger. One of the soldiers lunged at them, and Lafayette whipped around to block the blow, delivering a second strike that had him groaning on the ground in pain as blood soaked through his shirt. “John, we need to get out of here. This is not good.”

A man came up from behind them, shouting as he did, “I knew you looked familiar. You’re the son of that bastard Henry Laurens.” The man, Richards he vaguely recalled, slashed at him as he ducked out of the way, feeling particularly useless without a sword. Lafayette took a step in front of him, blocking the blows, aiming to wound him enough that he couldn’t fight back. “Should have known. You look just like those paintings up in your fancy house.” John blanched. His house? What were they doing in his house? He ducked under Lafayette’s arm, seeing an opening as the man blocked his other side, and lunged in, stabbing the man square in the stomach. He cursed loudly as he fell to his knees, blood already sticky on his fingers where he grabbed at his shirt. 

“We are leaving,” Lafayette said sharply, grabbing his upper arm when John didn’t move. “Now!” John gave the man one last angry glare before turning and sprinting after Lafayette back out into the street. They didn’t let up for a while, running down street after street, taking random turns until they were sure no one had followed them. Lafayette tugged him into another small alley behind a row of shops to catch their breaths, safely out of view of any curious eyes. 

When John figured he could finally keep his voice mostly steady, he glanced up at Lafayette, leaning against the brick wall next to him. “How?” It was all he could think to say. It seemed improbable, nearly impossible, that someone would find him and help him, save him, from that terrible situation, yet here they were. 

Lafayette stared down at him hard, and John couldn’t quite decipher his emotions. “Well,” he began, slipping back into his French accent, “after you left-” He said the last word with a bit of bite, and John winced. “I knew I could not leave you alone with the possibility of something happening. I excused myself from those other men as soon as I could and tried to follow you, but you were already gone. I went searching for you then, collecting some of the men from the ship as I came across them to help. We checked inside a certain tavern where one the woman who worked there told us a group of soldiers had just dragged a man out of the building claiming he was a rebel spy. We knew they would not have gone too far and listened carefully until we heard the raised voices.” 

John just nodded, shrinking into himself. He had been an idiot. Distracting them from their purpose, putting other men in danger. He stared at his feet and willed himself to hold it together. 

“Now, John, why?” His tone was harsh, but not mean. He sounded more dumbfounded than anything. 

“I just-” he paused, unsure of what he wanted to say. How he wanted to say it. “Alex was right. I was too emotional for this. I shouldn’t have left the ship.” He shook his head side to side as if trying to shake the memory of the day out of his mind. “I was frustrated. Needed to know what happened to my family, and we weren’t getting it from those guys-” Lafayette cut him off by squeezing his shoulder. 

“I found out what happened.” He said it quietly, almost nervously. 

“What?” he managed to choke out through his shock. 

“I was not able to leave those men right away after you left, so I dug into the issue a little bit and one of them mentioned it.”

John’s eyes grew wide as he took it in, and once he fully processed the words, impatience took over. “Well?” he nearly shouted.

“They are alive, John.” His heart unclenched as Lafayette continued. “Your father was taken prisoner before the siege of Charleston while traveling to Europe. He is locked up in London, but he is alive. And the rest of your family is across the ocean as well. France I believe. They will not let him die, John. They are suffering a lot of losses, and he is too valuable of a captive. I am sure they will release him during a prisoner exchange at some point.” Lafayette looked down at him expectantly, waiting for some sort of response presumably. John felt like he wasn’t in his own body. Floating and watching this insane situation play out. But most of all, he was just incredibly grateful and relieved they were alive. 

He pushed himself off the wall suddenly, adrenaline still rushing through his veins, and grabbed Lafayette’s face with both his hands, pulling him down into a deep, frenzied kiss, surprising even himself with his boldness. When he pulled away, Lafayette looked dazed. “John? What-?”

“Thank you,” he said with all the sincerity he could muster. “For finding out about my family, for saving my ass, for everything.”

“You are welcome,” he said uncertainly, still looking confused. 

“Was that… okay?” John asked, the weight of what he just did finally hitting him. He felt his face flush. His heart flutter with doubt. 

Then Lafayette reached a hand down to cup the side of his face, giving him a soft smile. “More than okay,” he answered, leaning in again. The kiss was slower this time, Lafayette’s lips soft on his own, hungrily pulling him deeper. He gave in easily, parting his own lips and surrendering, just letting go and feeling everything all at once. Lafayette backed him up against the wall again, one hand coming around to the back of his neck and holding him close. John didn’t need him to. Would have stayed pressed up against him all day if it were up to him. 

Unfortunately, it was at that moment they heard a familiar, irritated voice from the end of the alley. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Alex stood with his arms crossed, looking very out of breath, the emotion on his face somewhere between elated and exasperated. Lafayette pulled away from John, looking guilty. John just ducked his head as Alex continued to yell. “This is not the time, you morons! You can explain to me what the fuck you did to have the whole town on the lookout for Redcoat imposters later. Right now, we need to get the hell out of here.” John and Lafayette shared one last loaded look before following Alex out of the alley. He glanced back and forth as they got to the street, unsure.

“It’s this way,” John said, taking the lead while a sense of familiarity washed over him. This place would always feel… not quite like home, but it carried a certain ease for John. The comfort and certainty of knowing a place better than you know yourself. They moved quickly, with a sense of purpose, through the streets, and when they finally got to the docks, John felt the tension in his body release all at once. The three of them climbed on board, urgency overriding grace as Lafayette tripped and nearly fell into the water before Alex grabbed his arm to steady him. 

Once they were all safely on board, Lafayette did a quick count of the crew. “Yes, we’re all here!” Walker yelled at him, already preparing the ship to sail. “We were just waiting on you, now let’s go!” The crew scrambled to get things moving, and soon they were pulling out into the harbor, a group of soldiers just reaching the waterfront and yelling after them as they went. 

“Well,” John said weakly, leaning against the side of the ship and bracing himself to stay upright. “We made it back safe and sound.” 

Alex just glared at him, arms crossed over his chest. “Once we’re back out at sea we need to have a serious talk about what ‘stick to the plan’ means.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KISS! 
> 
> Leave me love? Please? 
> 
> Come talk to me on tumblr @ilovefoodandgirls


	9. Chapter 9

The Revolution was back on course to the West Indies, in the middle of the ocean, far from angry British soldiers. John sat on the edge of the bed, his back leaning against Lafayette’s side as Alex paced in front of them. “Just-” he cut himself off, growling in frustration. “What in the ever-loving fuck were you thinking? Why would you split up?” 

John curled into himself, wanting to hide. He knew he messed up. Knew Alex had every right to be furious with him. That didn’t make it any easier to deal with though. He bit his lip, willing himself to think of something to say that would make this better. 

“It was my idea.” John whipped his head around to face Lafayette, not quite believing his ears. “I figured we could cover more ground that way. I did not realize John would get caught up with such a bad group. I was just trying to be efficient.”

“Laf, are you fucking kidding me? What the hell? Why would that ever be a good idea? We had a fucking plan.”

“Yes, yes, I know. You have mentioned it at least ten times since finding us back in Charleston. Look, mon chou, it was a mistake. No harm done.”

“No harm done?” he repeated incredulously. “We lost precious time when we could have been trading and stealing. Grayson has a nasty cut on his left arm. McHenry’s all scraped up from getting knocked to the ground.” John winced as he listened, guilt pooling in his stomach. Flexed his own wrists, feeling the soreness from where they had been tied. “I’d say there was some fucking harm done.”

“I am sorry. Truly. But there is nothing we can do to change it now, and everyone got back on board alive. Is that not what really matters? We can deal with a few scrapes and cuts. That is nothing we have not seen before.”

Alex made a displeased noise, but dropped the issue and turned to John. “And what about you? You just went along with this? You promised me you’d stick to the plan. Promised you wouldn’t do anything stupid.”

“Alexander,” Lafayette warned, his voice stern. 

“I’m sorry, Alex.” And he meant it. Even if he found out his family had been killed, knowing that bit of information wouldn’t change anything. He had put actual people in danger for his own peace of mind. “I don’t really think there’s anything I can do to make it up to you, but I won’t do anything that stupid again. I promise. And if you tell me to stay on the ship in the future for some reason, I’ll listen. If you can’t trust me to go out and help you guys, well that’s what I deserve at this point. I’ll listen from now on. Whatever you both think is best. I trust you.” 

The hard look on Alex’s face crumbled as he listened to John, and he took a step closer, tracing John’s cheekbone with his thumb. “Hey, honey,” he bit his lip as he paused, trying to make eye contact, but John was stubbornly avoiding his gaze. “I know you’re sorry, okay? And I’m not going to keep you trapped on the ship when we stop on land. You’ve just got to trust that I know what I’m doing, and that if I’m asking you to do something, or not to do something, that I have a good reason. Alright?” 

John nodded, leaning his head forward to rest against Alex’s chest. He took a deep breath in, steadied himself. “I’m sorry,” he said, voice muffled by the fabric of Alex's shirt. Alex reached a hand down to comb through his curls. 

“I know you are.” He leaned down and gave the top of John’s head a kiss. “Now can we talk about the fact that you two were sucking face in the middle of British-occupied Charleston?”  


John made an incoherent embarrassed noise into Alex’s shirt, grateful his face was hidden, and Lafayette stumbled for a moment to find the right words. “Um, yes, well that just sort of happened.”

“Just sort of happened? What did you accidentally fall and your lips just so happened to crash into each other?” Alex practically snorted with laughter, thoroughly enjoying the moment. John made another muffled noise into his chest, hoping his displeasure could be sensed without words.

“Obviously not. It was simply an… emotionally charged moment. John kissed me, and I reciprocated. That is all there is to it."

“Wait a minute. John kissed you?” John looked up, giving him an affronted look. “No offense,” he said, not sounding at all like he meant it. “I just figured… well damn. Good for you, John.”

“You’re being mean to me,” he mumbled, ducking his head again. 

“Oh well. You owe me after what you did today anyway. Pretty sure I’m allowed to be mean and annoying as much as I want, and you can’t say anything about it.” John just groaned into his shirt, causing Alex to laugh and ruffle his hair. 

 

The next morning John and Lafayette were standing near the front of the ship together, sun shining and ocean wide before them. Alex wanted to focus on some essay he was writing, so John figured it was a good opportunity to sneak out and speak to Lafayette alone. He leaned his head against Lafayette’s shoulder, still slightly self-conscious showing affection outside the privacy of their room. Wasn't sure how the rest of the crew would react to everything. Then again, with how the men seemed to gossip, they probably already knew. Lafayette leaned into him a bit and grabbed his hand, running his thumb over John’s knuckles. 

“So,” John said quietly, still facing out towards the water. “Why’d you lie to Alex? You didn’t have to do that.”

Lafayette considered his words for a few moments, thumb still rubbing soothing patterns. He took a deep breath before finally speaking. “I did not want something like that to come between the two of you. It was easier for me to take the blame. Our relationship is not so new, and it would be much harder for some argument like that to ruin anything between us. I know Alexander loves you, but you know how he can get when he is upset. I did not want him to say something in anger that would hurt what you have together. And also, I was in a very good mood because of everything that happened between you and me, and I did not want an argument to ruin that happiness. So, you see, it was actually very selfish of me, and you do not have to feel bad that I took the blame.”

John couldn’t help the smile spreading on his face. “You’re ridiculous. Thank you.” He leaned up to press a kiss to Lafayette’s lips. When he pulled back he noticed a crease between Lafayette’s brows. “What’s wrong?”

“Ah, I have something else to tell you. Another thing I learned in Charleston.” He was hesitant, as if he had been debating whether to tell him. John felt the pit of stomach drop. Even now, he could sense that this wasn’t good news. 

“Yes?” He kept his voice determinedly steady. His family was safe, the crew was safe, what else mattered? 

“The reason I got those men onto the topic of your family originally was because one of the men had mentioned your family house.”

“My house?” He looked up, confusion evident on his face. 

“Yes. Some of the British soldiers in Charleston burned your house down after they took the city. One of the men I was talking with happened to be a part of it.”

John lost a bit of his composure, his face falling. He turned in a bit to press himself more closely to Lafayette. “Oh.” He didn’t have words for what he was feeling. He had never really planned on returning to Mepkin. Didn’t see how he could at this point. Still, the thought of his childhood home burned to the ground had his heart sinking. He had so many memories there. Of his brothers and sisters. Of his mother and father. Back when his family was happy, strong, complete. He blinked, feeling his eyes starting to water, thankful that from this angle Lafayette couldn’t see his face. He felt his hand squeeze tighter, the contact grounding him a little bit. 

“John, I am sorry-”

But John cut him off before he could go on. “Don’t be. It’s just a house.” His breath was coming out uneven, and he hated the way his voice wavered. “They have money. When my father gets released they’ll rebuild and everyone will return and they’ll be fine.” He left the ‘besides me’ unspoken. 

“It is alright to be angry or upset, John. It is your home after all…” 

“This is my home.” His voice was a bit steadier now. “Here with you and Alex. Of course I’m sad that they burned the house down, but it’s done and I had no plans to return there anyway. I don’t want to waste energy getting all emotional over a place that doesn’t mean anything to me anymore.” He pulled back to tug Lafayette down for another kiss, this time longer and more intimate. When they broke apart, John smiled up at him, feeling safe here, even if everything else in his life had been turned upside down. “I have Alex and you, and that’s more than enough.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter! 
> 
> I have some one shots coming up for this verse too so stay tuned 
> 
> All of your comments are so appreciated and wonderful <3 thank you to everyone for the support with this thing I love you all
> 
> Find me on tumblr @ilovefoodandgirls


	10. Chapter 10

It took a little while for the boys to adjust to their new dynamic. John and Lafayette were still in their honeymoon phase, constantly with each other and sneaking off to be alone in the middle of the day. Life was still full of surprises, learning more and more about each other with each passing day. Alex tried to let them have their private moments, no doubt remembering how he and John had spent nearly every waking minute together when things were new between them, and how patient Lafayette had been about all of it. But the best moments by far were when all three of them were together. Things had shifted a bit. It was no longer two separate relationships, with Alex bouncing back and forth between them, but one complete circle. Little moments of leisure were spent curled up together, each one of them feeling connected and loved and cared for. Days together were nice, but nights together were even better. 

They had spent a full day of nonstop work with the crew to prepare for their stop in the West Indies, and they were all exhausted. When they finally retired to the captain’s quarters, the night well underway, all three boys collapsed onto the bed immediately. John snuggled in between the other two, his head resting on Lafayette’s chest and Alex’s arm slung over him. Lafayette’s fingers ran through his curls, scratching at his scalp, and John hummed in contentment. He heard Alex sigh happily behind him, right by his ear, and turned his head at an awkward angle to look at him. “What was that for?”

“Nothing, I’m just incredibly in love with both of you, and seeing you both here with me, it’s more than I could have hoped for. You’re perfect. You’re both perfect.”

John turned more fully to accept a kiss, letting Alex tug him down into the pleasure of his mouth and lips, Lafayette’s fingers running up and down his side as he felt that familiar heat start to build inside of him. When they broke apart, his face was flushed, and he was breathing a little heavier. Alex grinned, tracing John’s lower lip with his thumb. “You look so gorgeous.”

“You really do,” Lafayette added, pulling him back for a kiss of his own. Soft lips pressed to his, slowly moving and working him over until John parted his mouth, let Lafayette in deeper, moaned into the kiss. When Lafayette broke it off, John’s head fell back onto the mattress as he made a soft, needy noise. “What is it, mon chéri?”

“Want you both,” he said softly, not tilting his face up to look at them. “Want to feel you. Want you to make me feel good.” 

Alex leaned over him, tugging his shirt over his head to John’s relief. “You look so cute when you’re needy,” he purred in his ear before tossing his clothing to the ground. He ran a hand down John’s chest, traced the muscles of his stomach with gentle fingers. “Fuck, you’re perfect,” he breathed out reverently. 

John whimpered at the contact, feeling an urgent need for more, yet overwhelmed by the attention all at the same time. His eyes had slipped closed, and he was reveling in the feeling of fingers brushing across his bare skin, so distracted that he nearly jumped when he felt another set of hands unlacing him and tugging the soft material of his pants off his hips. Lafayette leaned down, the heat of his breath ghosting over John’s exposed cock. 

“Please,” he whined, Lafayette’s mouth so close to his skin it was driving him crazy. He felt his dick twitch as he pressed a kiss at the crease where his upper thigh met his hips. John moved one hand to the back of his head, not pushing him, but merely putting light pressure there to get the point across. “I need your mouth. My god, I need it so bad.”

“For you?” Lafayette looked up at him, eyes dark and clouded with lust. A small smile spread across his lips. “Anything.” He dipped down to lick up John’s shaft, earning a bitten off moan, before taking just the head into his mouth. John felt his body light up as that wonderful, wet warmth closed around him. Light suction, a swirl of tongue, then he dropped all the way down until John felt his cock nudge against the back of Lafayette’s throat. He let out a low sound of approval that turned into a moan as he pulled off and then repeated himself, taking all of John once again. 

“If you keep doing that, he’s not going to last much longer,” Alex said, laugher in his voice. “I want a chance to make him squirm too. You’ve had plenty of time for that lately.” 

John let out an undignified whine as Lafayette pulled off, pressing one hand firmly against his thigh as he sat up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He crawled up to lie next to John, pulling him into another tender kiss. All the while, he could feel Alex kissing his way down John’s body, stopping occasionally to bite and suck the skin hard enough that John was sure he’d have marks there tomorrow. He braced for the feeling of Alex’s lips, wet and slick on his cock, but he passed it over, moving down to bite at the insides of his thighs. After a few more minutes of this, he pushed himself up a bit and trailed his fingers lightly up John’s length, rubbing his thumb over the slit and groaning when it grew slick with pre-come. “Fuck, honey. There’s so many things I want to do to that beautiful body.” Lafayette pulled away from John to watch as Alex gave him a few teasing strokes, reveling in the desperate sounds he made. “You want me to ride your cock?” he asked John, licking his lips. “Want me to make you feel real good, baby?” 

John groaned, his head falling back again. “Yes,” he moaned. “Please, Alex. Need to feel you.” 

“If you insist,” Alex said with a grin. “C’mere and stretch me, honey.” He stripped off his own pants and leaned forward onto the mattress, his weight supported on his knees and forearms. John pulled himself up, kicking off his pants the rest of the way as he did. Lafayette plucked a bottle of oil from their bedside table, dripping some onto John’s waiting fingers, then giving him a playful tap on the ass, silently telling him to get to work. 

John kneeled between Alex’s spread legs, pressing one finger at his hole and rubbing small circles, teasing him. When Alex moaned, the noise went straight to John’s cock, and he couldn’t help the urge to finally press his finger in, watching with hunger as his ass took him in, tight and hot as it squeezed around him. “Mmm Alex, you feel incredible. Can’t wait to feel you around my cock.” 

While John slowly worked his finger in and out of Alex, Lafayette pressed himself against John’s back, twining one hand around his waist and gripping his length with firm fingers. His movements stilled inside of Alex, biting his lip to stifle his moan. Alex pushed back, trying to get more friction, as Lafayette leaned forward to whisper in his ear, “Stop that, I want to hear you.” The sentence sent a shock of arousal through his body, and he tried not to buck into Lafayette’s hand. 

“Don’t want anyone else to hear us,” he said, the thought making him blush. 

“They will not, please mon chéri, I want to hear those beautiful noises you make.”

“I don’t think-” A cut off gasp as Lafayette moved his hand, giving him a few firm strokes. “Don’t think either of you realize how thin your walls are.”

“I don’t think you realize how little I care,” he responded, voice breathy in John’s ear. He moaned aloud at that while Lafayette continued to work his cock, fighting the urge to silence himself again. “I want to hear you, and I do not care if the whole damn ship knows.”

“Laf, stop distracting him. He was kind of in the middle of something,” Alex reminded them, wiggling his hips a bit to get their attention. 

“John, mon chéri, he is right. I will only continue to touch you if you can stay focused. John quietly whimpered, but returned his attention to Alex, adding a second finger and stretching him. 

“Ahhh,” Alex groaned indulgently. “Feels so good, baby.” He allowed a few more minutes of this, making small breathy noises as John prepped him, before turning his head over his shoulder to make eye contact. “You ready for me to sit on that cock? Need to feel you inside of me, sweetheart. Your fingers are nice, but they’re nothing compared to the real thing.”

Lafayette moved up the bed, patting a space right in front of the headboard. “Come here, my love. Relax and let Alexander take care of you.” John obeyed, crawling up to sit next to him, settling in with his back against the headboard and his legs spread. Alex climbed into his lap, wrapping his arms around John’s neck and pulling him into a deep, frantic kiss. 

“Alex,” he groaned, lips centimeters apart. “Hurry up.” Not needing to be told twice, he put some space between them as he straddled John’s hips, stroking him back to full hardness and lining up so that John’s cock nudged his hole. “Fuck, Alex, come on. Stop teasing me and get in there.” 

He smirked and sunk down, taking in all of John at once and moaning theatrically. John bucked up in response, drawing needy noises out of both of them.

Lafayette leaned in, pulling first John, and then Alex, in for a kiss. “You are both so beautiful, so wonderful, like this.” He moved back in on John so that Alex could keep moving, lifting his hips and causing John to moan with every drop. Alex adjusted the angle a bit, leaned forward more until he hit that spot that had him nearly screaming. The friction, the warmth, the way Alex’s ass squeezed around him as he got closer and closer, was all pushing John to the edge. He did what he could to focus, bring himself back to the present, hold off a little longer. Lafayette pulled his lips away from John so he could turn to Alex, made eye contact as he poured some oil and grasped Alex’s dick firmly in one hand. He began stroking in time with Alex’s movements. Each time Alex lifted off John’s cock, he was moving up into the pressure of Lafayette’s hand, crying out incoherent curses and praise. John wanted so badly to chase his own pleasure, but he also wanted to be good and make sure all three of them got their release, and Lafayette hadn’t had a turn yet. He watched Alex and Lafayette together in awe, letting out a loud moan when Alex finally stilled with a cry, clenching around John as Lafayette continued to pump his dick, only stopping when he was completely spent. 

“Fuck,” Alex groaned, leaning forward onto John’s chest. “Your dick is incredible, John.” He laughed lightly and kissed Alex on the forehead, still uncomfortably hard and needing some stimulation. After taking a moment to catch his breath, Alex carefully lifted himself off of John, settling in on the mattress next to him on his side so he still had a good view of everything that was happening. 

Lafayette tugged John up to meet him, kissed him hard and trailed his lips across his face so he could speak low in his ear. “May I fuck you now, my love?” he asked, voice smooth as silk. “You and Alexander looked so beautiful together I could hardly wait my turn.” John shivered. Nodded his head with a quiet whimper. Lafayette pushed him back down to the mattress, and John spread his legs eagerly, angled his hips upward. “Look at you,” Lafayette praised. “So ready and willing for me.” He brought one slick finger down, dipping in just to his knuckle. 

John felt about ready to burst. He was so keyed up he could barely organize his thoughts into anything that made sense. All he could focus on was his intense need for Lafayette to hurry up and put his dick inside of him. He squeezed his eyes shut, vaguely aware that he was babbling as Lafayette fingered him, but he couldn’t focus on his own words. “Please,” he managed through the fog in his brain. A second finger was added, speeding up and stretching him wider. 

“Please what, Laurens? What do you need?” 

“Need-” he was cut off by his own pleased gasp as Lafayette added a third finger. 

“Yes?” he prompted, voice infuriatingly calm as he gave John a self-satisfied grin. 

“Your cock. Inside of me. Now.” He panted between each set of words, unable to keep his breathing steady, his heartbeat throbbing in his own ears and his chest rising and falling erratically. “Need to get fucked. Please.” 

Lafayette slowly drew his fingers out, leaving John to instinctively clench around nothing. “If you insist.” He poured some more oil to slick himself, and John practically salivated at the sight, his large hand wrapped around that thick, hard cock, glinting where the light hit it. Stroking himself to coat the entire length. John gripped a fist into the blanket, preventing himself from jumping up and forcing the process along quicker. He let out a high-pitched, needy noise, hoping to get Lafayette’s attention back where it belonged.

Lafayette chuckled quietly, giving his upper thigh an affectionate squeeze. “Do not worry, chéri, I am going to give you what you want. After all, how could I not, with how tempting you look?” He traced his fingers inward then ran them up the length of John’s cock, stopping at the tip to rub his thumb along the precome that had gathered there. “I am not sure anybody could resist such a request with your beautiful little ass right there waiting.” John bit his lip, blushed. Then Lafayette was lining up, pulling his legs back a little more for better access. John moaned with anticipation as he felt the head just push up against him, still for a moment as Lafayette adjusted, and then slowly sliding inside. His pace was maddeningly controlled, when John wanted nothing more than for him to just slam in and pound him. He reached out a hand to try to grab him and pull him in quicker before realizing he couldn’t reach with the angle he was at. He let his hand drop to the top of his own thigh instead, digging his nails into the flesh there as he tried to keep his muscles relaxed. 

“Fuck, Lafayette,” he whined, feeling the widest part of the head finally push past his opening and settle inside of him. “Faster. Please. Oh fuck,” he breathed as Lafayette thrust in another inch, dragging along his insides. “Please, more.” The last word was clipped short as John felt hands reach down to roughly grab his hips, changing the angle and pulling him up a bit, forcing the cock inside of him deeper. John let out another desperate whine, rocking his hips in tiny movements to urge Lafayette on. Finally, blissfully, John felt Lafayette reach as deep as he would fit, base of his cock pressed against his ass. “Mmmm yes,” he sighed, feeling so completely filled. 

“You are so lovely, mon chéri. I love watching you like this. Seeing you so desperate. You are beautiful.” John felt heat rush to his face as Lafayette complimented him, gazing down at him without moving. Just watching him with lust-clouded eyes. 

Alex pressed a kiss to the side of John’s head, smiling at the two of them. “You going to fuck him?” he asked, grinning at Lafayette. “I think you’re going to break him if you don’t move soon.” John wanted to scream his agreement, but settled for looking up at Lafayette with large eyes, blinking and gazing through his lashes, trying to plead without words.

Lafayette groaned, muttered “mon dieu,” and began moving with short, almost teasing thrusts. John arched into it, unable to stop the small breathy noises as he felt himself being filled over and over. Lafayette changed the angle just slightly, dug himself a little deeper, and then John saw sparks. His body lit up with intense pleasure, and he felt like he was floating. He could tell he was babbling again, incoherent pleas as he climbed higher and higher. His eyes snapped open as he felt a hand, Alex’s, wrap around his cock, pumping him firmly in time with the snap of Lafayette’s hips. He cried out with surprise and ecstasy, feeling his muscles tightening, his body on fire. 

“Please,” he cried. “I’m so close. Please more.” He panted the words over and over and over again until he finally felt his orgasm cresting over him, his whole being overcome with the intense feeling. He left his body for a moment, his entire world just bright pleasure and Lafayette’s cock inside of him, Alex’s hand warm and slick, stroking him through it as his whole body was consumed by heat. He felt Lafayette finally hold himself in deep and spill with a broken off groan, familiar warmth pooling inside of John as he pulsed a few times. When he was finally done, John allowed himself to slump back into the mattress a bit, Lafayette eventually pulling out with a satisfied sigh and dropping down low on his knees. 

Alex trailed one finger over John’s stomach, licking the come off of his finger. “You’re a salty mess,” he teased with a soft smile. 

“You’re one to talk,” John responded, still out of breath as he eyed the drying seed on Alex’s own chest and stomach. 

“Hey. I’m only covered in my own at least. You’re dripping with it everywhere.”

John winced. “Okay. You’ve officially ruined the mood. Want to get me something to clean up with instead of just poking fun at me?” 

Lafayette stood before Alex could grabbing a bucket of water and a couple of cloths from across the room. He dipped them in the water, tossing one at Alex and using the other to gently wipe at John’s body. “How come he gets to just lay there, and I have to clean myself?” Alex whined, pouting at him. 

Lafayette raised his eyebrows, but he was smiling affectionately as he spoke. “You just said you are only covered in your own come, mon chou. Why should I have to wipe you clean too? Maybe if you had not been so insistent about it while teasing John…” 

Alex rolled his eyes, and John listened as they bickered back and forth a bit. He couldn’t help the smile spreading on his face. This all felt so comfortable. So right. So natural. It was effortless to lay here with these two men and simply allow himself to feel content. He let his eyes drift shut, listening to the cadence of their voices as he replayed the last year or so in his mind. Before all of this he had been petrified of his own future. He couldn’t picture himself living past the war, because he couldn’t imagine a future that would fulfill him. He had been so certain there was nothing for him in this world besides dying in glory for the revolution. But now? He could endure forever if Alex and Lafayette were by his side. The thought calmed him, and he wondered how he had gotten so lucky to find something this rare and perfect. 

“Jack?” Alex touched his upper arm gently. “Did you fall asleep on us?” 

He rolled up a bit onto his side to get a better look at Alex. His hair was a mess, and his lips were a bit swollen. A smile lit up his face when John blinked his eyes open, and John couldn’t help but think he looked absolutely luminous. He shook his head in response, returning Alex’s smile. “Just thinking.” He was quiet for another beat, and Lafayette wrapped an arm around his waist from behind, tugging him in so they fit together like a puzzle. “I’m very lucky.” 

Lafayette pressed a kiss to his shoulder as Alex curled against his front and mumbled into the soft skin of his chest, “We all are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter! We made it! 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the sappy porn chapter. The boys are finally all happy together :)
> 
> Stay tuned for more one shots and possibly a part 3 (if I do a part 3 it won't be right away because I'm working on a new story too) 
> 
> All of your comments and love have sustained me through this story and I love you all so much. You make my heart full. <3
> 
> Come find me on tumblr @ilovefoodandgirls


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